In Mumbai on Sunday, tensions rose as opposing protests took center stage. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance organized a march from Hutatma Chowk to the Gateway of India in response to the recent collapse of a statue of the Maratha king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in Malvan, Sindhudurg district. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition, planned a counter-protest, accusing the MVA of politicizing the issue.
Despite police refusing permission for the march, leaders and supporters from the MVA’s three constituent parties—Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar)—began gathering at Hutatma Chowk. The protest, labeled as ‘Jode Maro Andolan’ (Hit them with shoes protest), proceeded despite the lack of official authorization, with MVA leaders stating that their request for permission was merely a formality.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant emphasized the emotional significance of the statue, stating, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is like a god to us. When the statue fell, so did our devotion, honor, and self-respect.” Sawant also criticized the police for their actions and questioned the timing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apology for the statue’s collapse, which occurred during an event in Palghar. The statue had been inaugurated by Modi on Navy Day last December.
As Maharashtra heads toward assembly elections later this year, the state is set to witness a direct clash between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.
