Hundreds of people joined a morcha organised by the MNS and some social groups on Tuesday to defend the Marathi 'asmita' (pride) in Mira Bhayandar area of Thane district amid rising political heat following the attack on a shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi.
Leaders and workers of Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) also joined the protest amid high drama on the streets and detention of several activists by police.
Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik who visited the protest site in the afternoon was heckled and driven away by angry demonstrators.
Police had denied permission for the protest march citing the potential threat to law and order. However, after high drama on the streets and apparent political intervention, the morcha passed through the original route proposed by the organisers.
The rally was organised by MNS and other pro-Marathi groups the aegis of Marathi Ekikaran Samiti to counter a protest staged by traders recently against the slapping of a food stall owner by MNS activists for not speaking Marathi, officials said.
The situation became tense when police started detaining protesters raising slogans for protecting the 'Marathi asmita' (pride). Some of them were picked up by the police while they were addressing the media.
Several functionaries of MNS were detained from midnight.
Television channels flashed images of women being bundled into police vans while they were shouting slogans against the "high-handedness" of the police. Several activists were detained inside a banquet hall to prevent them from reaching the protest venue.
As high drama unfolded on the streets, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis moved in to contain the potential political damage.
He said permission had been granted for the rally but the MNS insisted on a specific route which posed law and order challenges.
"If they ask for permission for a proper route, we will give permission today and even tomorrow. Another organisation held a rally on the route approved by the police, but these people remained adamant on a particular route," he told reporters in Mumbai.
The groundswell of support for the Marathi cause prompted Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik to criticise the police for "uncalled action" which is not in line with any government directive.
"The police's action was completely wrong. The government has not issued any such instructions to suppress a peaceful morcha in support of Marathi interests," Sarnaik told reporters and asserted that he would discuss the matter with the chief minister.
"This kind of attitude by the police is unwarranted, and if the Marathi-speaking people had sought permission for a peaceful morcha, the police should have permitted them," he said.
Sarnaik joined the protest march in the afternoon.
Thousands of people holding placards, flags and wearing white caps emblazoned with "Me Marathi" slogans, walked enthusiastically on the streets in Mira Road and adjoining Bhayandar.
Several women, workers of the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) walked together, united by the Marathi cause.
Many people at the spot directed their ire towards the BJP-led government, accusing it of allowing traders to take out a rally a few days back in the same area while denying permission to Marathi people.
"Common people will teach a lesson to them (BJP-led government) in the coming days for their hatred towards Marathi people", a protester said.
Sana Deshmukh, wearing a hijab, said the Marathi people won't let the government suppress their voice.
People marched peacefully through the main streets from Balaji Square to the Major Kaustubh Rane memorial in front of the Mira Road railway station.
The row over the "imposition" of language in primary schools of Maharashtra has snowballed into a major political flash point ahead of civic polls after MNS activists slapped a food stall owner in the Bhayander area for not speaking Marathi.
MNS activists had also damaged the glass door of Mumbai-based investor Sushil Kedia's office in Worli after he vowed not to speak Marathi and dared Raj Thackeray.
The 'language' issue took a nasty turn with former BJP MP Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirhua daring the Thackeray cousins to throw him out of Mumbai for speaking Bhojpuri.
On Monday, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey caused a flutter with his "patak, patak ke marenge" remarks targeting the Thackeray cousins.
The language row and the revocation of two GRs by the state government to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools has brought Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray, who heads MNS, together after 20 years last week.
Meanwhile, the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar Police has released MNS leader Avinash Jadhav and hundreds of activists detained earlier, DCP (Zone I) Prakash Gaikwad said.
"We had not permitted the morcha earlier and not even now," he told reporters.
When Sarnaik reached the spot, some members of the crowd accused Sarnaik of speaking against the interests of the Marathi manoos earlier.
Sarnaik tried to explain that he would always stand by Marathi people but was shot down with "gaddar" slogans.
NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad also waded into the controversy, demanding action against police officers who allegedly refused permission for the rally.
"This is suppression of democratic rights. Action must be taken against the officers involved," he said.
