Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Thane district leader Avinash Jadhav was detained by Thane Police on Tuesday, July 8, ahead of their protest rally against traders in Mera Road. Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar police denied permission to conduct 'Marathi March' in the area. The police also banned Jadhav's entry into Mira Road for the next 24 hours.
According to reports, Jadhav and several party leaders were detained in the early hours of Tuesday at around 3.30 am in Mira-Bhayandar. The MNS planned a rally following the June 29 assault, which triggered widespread protests from non-Marathi people, after which an FIR was registered against MNS workers who assaulted the sweet shop owner.
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MNS on Monday said it would go ahead with the rally and threatened to organise a ‘jail bharo' agitation, reported The Times of India (TOI). Party functionary Sandeep Rane stated that while the local traders' association has said its bandh last week was not against Marathi but over the assault, "the shop owner Babulal Chaudhary hasn't apologised yet."
Rane said, "Our issue is not with other traders; only Chaudhary. Now we see police on the streets, but where were they when traders planned their bandh?" Rane said others could participate in the protest rally in Mira Road if Avinash Jadhav was still barred and detained.