8 July 2025 : Amid an escalating language row in Maharashtra, several members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were detained during a protest march they took out in Thane. According to the state government, while Raj Thackeray’s party earlier had a permission for the protest, it was later denied as the party was adamant on a specific route.
Prohibitory orders were issued regarding the assembly of people, following which Raj Thackeray’s party members alleged that the state government was not allowing “Marathi people’s march”.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asserted that while the party was allowed to take out a protest, only the police could decide the route, given traffic and crowd management. According to Fadnavis, the MNS workers were adamant on a specific route, which is why permission for the march was denied.
“The police commissioner informed me that they were asked to change the route, however, they were adamant to take the same route. Therefore, the police rejected their demand,” Fadnavis said.
“I understand Maharashtra’s mood. Such kind of experiment won’t work here. Marathis are big hearted people. Marathis are not narrow-minded,” Fadnavis was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The MNS had called the march in protest to counter a protest staged by traders against the thrashing of a shop owner for refusing to speak Marathi. “Is this the government of Maharashtra or other state? Why do they not allow Marathi people’s march?” the detained activists asked.
The party also countered Fadnavis’s claim on permission for the rally, alleging the traders’ protest was allowed the Mira Road route, but the MNS was not.
“The traders’ march was organised in Mira Road and police wanted us to organise the march at Ghodbunder Road. This shows that they do not want to permit our march in Mira Road area. Now, all MNS workers across the state will reach Mira Road and, will not rest till cops allow us the protest march there,” said MNS Mumbai president Sandeep Deshpande.
The traders had taken out a protest against the alleged assault of a shop owner by men wearing MNS scarves last week, for refusing to speak in Marathi.
Earlier on Tuesday, a local MNS leader Avinash Jadhav was detained from his home ahead of the planned protest in Thane, news agency PTI reported. The police had reportedly issued orders against Jadhav, the head of MNS’s Thane and Palghar units.
The order said there were 28 cases of cognizable offences registered against him.
The police action against MNS workers is the latest big development in the ongoing tussle between the state government and the Opposition in Maharashtra over the issue of language. Cases of people being thrashed, allegedly for either not knowing or refusing to converse in Marathi, have been on the rise over the past few months.
Besides, a government order making Hindi a mandatory third language in primary schools also recently stoked a huge row. However, after backlash from the Opposition and language advocacy groups, the Maharashtra government rolled back on the decision.
Summary:
MNS workers were detained during a protest in Thane after police denied permission for their rally route. Deputy CM Fadnavis confirmed alternate routes were offered.