MNS March Sparks Political Storm: CM Fadnavis Defends Ban, Pratap Sarnaik Slams Own Govt

A major political face-off has erupted in Maharashtra after the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) protest march in Mira Road led to clashes and detentions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, responding to the criticism, defended the police action and clarified that the rally was denied permission only because the route chosen by the MNS was provocative and could have led to law and order issues. "If they had followed the regular route, permission would have been granted," Fadnavis said, accusing the organizers of deliberately choosing a route to spark confrontation.At the same time, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) minister Pratap Sarnaik, whose party shares power in the state, indirectly criticized the police and the administration for their handling of the peaceful protest. His remarks have exposed rifts within the ruling alliance, with Sarnaik calling the crackdown on Marathi pride “unjustified.”On the ground, MNS workers continued their protest, sitting on roads and resisting arrest, forcing police to use private buses from Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation to transport them. Protesters alleged discrimination, with some raising slogans asserting Marathi identity over Gujarati and Marwari influences in the region.The political tug-of-war has intensified, turning Mira Road into the epicenter of a language and identity-based showdown in Maharashtra.

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