Mumbai, 8 July

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said permission had been granted for a rally in neighbouring Mira Bhayander in which MNS leaders had planned to participate but the party insisted on a specific route which posed law and order challenges.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande, however, claimed the government was trying to suppress their voice and that the police had no intention of allowing their rally.

Police detained MNS Thane and Palghar head Avinash Jadhav and several other party activists ahead of the rally planned in Thane's Mira Bhayander area on Tuesday to counter a protest staged earlier by traders against the slapping of a food stall owner for not speaking in Marathi, officials said.

The protesters shouted slogans against the government, criticising it for not allowing the morcha.

The rally was proposed by the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti in Mira Bhayander area.

Members of the Raj Thackeray-headed MNS have been trying to push for the use of the Marathi language in commercial establishments and banks in the state.

Speaking to reporters in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan premises on the issue, Fadnavis said, "There is no opposition to holding a rally. It was difficult to give permission for the sought route. Police requested them to change the route, but the organisers were adamant on a particular route."

"It could cause traffic or a stampede-like situation. In such a situation, police try to convince and offer an alternate route. We are in a democracy, everyone has the right to hold rallies," he said.

"If they ask for permission for a proper route, we will give permission today and even tomorrow also. Another organisation held a rally from the route approved by the police, but these people remained adamant on a particular route," he added.

Referring to the sequence of events, Fadnavis said permission was sought late Monday night for holding a gathering, which was also granted.

"But when it came to the rally, they were pushing for a particular route. If permission was given, there might have been a law and order situation. For last so many years, we all are holding rallies and these are always done after consultation with police," he added.

MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande, however, hit out at the government over the issue.

"Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis says he is ready to grant permission, but only if we change our rally route. That is nothing but a tactic to suppress our voice," Deshpande said in a video message.

"We had sought permission for a rally in Mira Road area, where the incident (assault on food stall area last week) actually took place. But the police asked us to shift it to Ghodbunder Road," he claimed.

Who holds a protest on Ghodbunder Road for something that happened in Mira Road? Deshpande asked.

"It clearly shows that the police had no intention of allowing our rally in the first place," he claimed.

He pointed out that traders recently held a protest in Mira Road area without being asked to relocate.

"Like the traders, the police could have registered cases against us too, but they didn't want to even let us assemble," Deshpande said.

"No one should spread misinformation about this rally. People from across the state will join us. We'll see if the government has enough space in jails for all of us," he added.

Meanwhile, on claims that Mira Road in Thane was being used as a testing ground for new political experiments, CM Fadnavis said a Marathi person has a "large heart".

"The Marathi people, during attacks on the country, cared about the country and did not remain selfish. A Marathi person cannot possess shallow thoughts," he said.