High drama unfolded in Mira Bhayandar area near Mumbai on Tuesday as hundreds took part in a protest march led by the MNS and other groups to defend the Marathi asmita (pride) amid rising political heat following the attack on a shopkeeper for refusal to speak Marathi.
The march witnessed detention of several activists by the police with leaders and workers of Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) also joining the protest. Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik was heckled and driven away by angry demonstrators as he visited the site to
express solidarity.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stepped in saying permission had been granted for the MNS rally, but the party insisted on a specific route which posed law and order challenges. “There is no opposition to holding a rally. It was difficult to give permission for the sought route. Police requested them to change the route, but the organisers were adamant on a particular route,” he said.
Fadnavis said permission was sought late Monday night for holding a gathering, which was also granted.
“But when it came to the rally, they were pushing for a particular route. If permission was given, there might have been a law and order situation. For last so many years, we all are holding rallies and these are always done after consultation with police,” he added.
The march organised by the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and other pro-Marathi groups under the aegis of Marathi Ekikaran Samiti to counter a protest staged by traders recently against the slapping of a food stall owner by MNS workers on July 1 for not speaking Marathi. A video of the assault had gone viral on social media, following which traders in Bhayandar staged a protest, seeking action against the attackers. Seven MNS members were later detained.
Ahead of Tuesday’s proposed rally, security had been stepped up in Mira Bhayandar in Thane district. The police had denied permission to the rally. A prohibitory order was issued against Jadhav by the police on Monday, restraining him from entering Mira Bhayandar to participate in the rally. He was released later in the day.
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande slammed the Government, saying “CM Fadnavis says he is ready to grant permission, but only if we change our rally route. That is nothing but a tactic to suppress our voice.”
Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said there was no discrimination between Marathi and non-Marathi communities when it comes to granting permission for rallies, but law and order cannot be compromised. The State Government is committed to ensure law and order is maintained during such protests, he said.
The situation became tense when police started detaining protesters raising slogans for protecting the ‘Marathi asmita’ (pride). Some of them were picked up by the police while they were addressing the media.
The groundswell of support for the Marathi cause prompted minister Sarnaik to criticise the police for “uncalled action” which is not in line with any Government directive.
Sarnaik joined the protest march in the afternoon, but was heckled by some protesters who accused him of speaking against the interests of the Marathi manoos earlier. He tried to explain that he would always stand by Marathi people but was shot down with “gaddar” (traitor) slogans.
Thousands of people holding placards, flags and wearing white caps emblazoned with “Mi Marathi” slogans, walked enthusiastically on the streets in Mira Road and adjoining Bhayandar. Several women, workers of the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) walked together, united by the Marathi cause.
The row over the “imposition” of language in primary schools of Maharashtra has snowballed into a major political flash point ahead of civic polls. The ‘language’ issue took a nasty turn with former BJP MP Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirhua daring the Thackeray cousins to throw him out of Mumbai for speaking Bhojpuri.
The language row and the revocation of two GRs by the state Government to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools has brought Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray, who heads MNS, together after 20 years last week.
