• Source:JND
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Maharashtra Police on Tuesday detained several Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers ahead of their proposed rally in retaliation for the protest by non-Marathi traders over the language row in the state. Raj Thackeray’s party had announced that their rally would pass through Mira Road, which has a big population of non-Marathis.

MNS leader and Thane district president of the party, Avinash Jadhav, has been taken into custody by the Thane Police.

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The traders had staged a protest against the slapping of a food stall owner by MNS workers for not speaking in Marathi.

Vasai-Virar Police Commissioner Madhukar Pandey said the MNS workers were told to change their route based on the instructions from the High Court. He said the police also had some intelligence inputs, based on which the permission for the rally was denied on the route.

"Based on the High Court's instructions, we stated that you can take permission to hold rally, but change the route. We also had some intelligence inputs, based on which we made this decision. We have detained some people, and I appeal to the city's residents to cooperate with the police," ANI quoted him as saying. 

Reacting over the pandemonium, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said permission was sought for a meeting but MNS workers wanted to hold a protest march on the route.

"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 democracy, everyone has the right to hold rallies," PTI quoted Fadnavis as saying.

"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.

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Security has been heightened in the Mira Bhayander area to prevent any untoward incident.