MNS rally sparks tension in Mira Road; Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik forced to leave by protesters | Mumbai News
MUMBAI: A pro-Marathi rally led by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and supported by other pro-Marathi groups under the banner of Marathi Ekikaran Samiti witnessed high drama in Mira Road on Monday. The march was organized in response to a recent traders’ protest against an incident where an MNS activist slapped a food stall owner for not speaking Marathi. Despite police denying permission for the rally due to law and order concerns, the procession moved along the originally proposed route after apparent political intervention. Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) workers also joined the protest, which saw several activists, including MNS leader Avinash Jadhav, taken into preventive custody and later released. Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik briefly visited the protest site but was heckled by demonstrators and left without addressing the media. MNS leader Nitin Sardesai, en route by train, stated, “The Marathi Manus is on the ground today.” DCP Prakash Gaikwad confirmed that no permission was granted for either the MNS rally or the earlier traders’ protest.
