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Amid the ongoing language row, police detained Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on Tuesday in Mira Bhayandar while they were protesting to counter traders' protest. MNS Thane district chief Avinash Jadhav was also detained before their protest.
As MNS workers gathered in Mira Road, police stopped them from marching forward and took several into custody in police vans. After a food stall owner was allegedly attacked by MNS workers for refusing to speak in Marathi, Mira Road has become the centre of the Marathi and Hindi language dispute. Traders in the Bhayander area held a protest demanding strict action against those involved in the attack on the food stall owner. In response to this, the MNS did a counter-protest. While Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Ramdas Kadam said there is no political angle to the issue, stating that MNS was denied protest permission only because the chosen location could cause problems. He added that permission would be granted if they agreed to change the location, but the party refused. Speaking to the reporters, Yogesh Ramdas Kadam said, "There is no politics in this. The location where they have requested permission may create a few issues. We have told them to change the location, and then permission will be granted. But they are not willing to change the place..." Earlier on Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray strongly criticised the BJP, accusing the party of trying to divide Maharashtra and pushing an anti-Marathi narrative to create fear and political instability in the state. "...This is exactly the BJP's mentality, which is anti-Maharashtra. We have asked everyone not to react to such crazy and dirty minds because they want to create fear and instability in Maharashtra. These are the same people who want to create division in Maharashtra, and we will not tolerate this," Thackeray said. He further alleged that this was part of a deliberate political strategy. "Divide and rule is part of the BJP's playbook... This is pure politics... This mentality of the BJP's MP represents the entire BJP; this does not represent North India," he said. (ANI)
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