Ahead of a Marathi identity march in Mira-Bhayander, police detained MNS leader Avinash Jadhav and others. CM Fadnavis defended the action, citing security concerns. Tensions continue over linguistic pride.
Mumbai, 9 July 2025: Mira-Bhayander witnessed high tension today as police began detaining Marathi activists even before the scheduled “Marathi Identity March” could commence. The protest, organized by MNS and other Marathi organizations in response to a previous non-Marathi traders’ march, was aimed at asserting Marathi pride and language rights. However, the police cracked down on marchers early, leading to chaos in the Om Shanti area of Mira Road.
Large numbers of police were deployed, and those attempting to join the march were taken away in police vans, creating unrest and anger among Marathi supporters. Several ordinary citizens, allegedly detained merely for being Marathi speakers in the vicinity, have also sparked outrage.
MNS leader Avinash Jadhav was detained from his residence at dawn, along with several other party workers. The police action is being criticized as politically motivated and suppressive of democratic rights.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, responding from the state assembly, clarified that while permission was granted for both the march and meeting, the organizers insisted on using a route that the police considered sensitive due to potential law-and-order issues. He defended the police action by stating that intelligence inputs had warned of possible unrest, prompting the authorities to change the route—an option rejected by the protestors.
This latest unrest follows an earlier incident where MNS workers were caught on video allegedly attacking a non-Marathi sweet shop owner. That led to a retaliatory bandh and protest by non-Marathi traders on July 3, during which offensive remarks were allegedly made against Marathi speakers.
In response, Jadhav had declared a counter-march on July 8, calling it a stand for Marathi honor and accusing the earlier protest of being orchestrated by BJP supporters. However, today’s swift crackdown has raised concerns about the state’s handling of dissent and the broader tensions simmering between linguistic communities in Maharashtra.
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