Permission Denied

In the combustible politics of Maharashtra, where identity and language have long been flashpoints, discretion and judgement are key to policing. But Madhukar Pandey, hitherto the Commissioner of Police for Mira Bhayandar–Vasai Virar (MBVV), showed none. By denying permission for a rally to defend Marathi pride, he has not only embarrassed the ruling Mahayuti government but also handed a new lease of life to the rabble-rousing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which thrives on such spectacles.

The protest rally in question, led by the MNS and backed by opposition groups including Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), was called in response to a disturbing incident in Mira Road in which a shopkeeper was assaulted by MNS workers for not speaking Marathi. Sensing an opportunity to stoke sentiment and revive its relevance, a march was organised under the banner to assert the cultural identity of the region. It had all the makings of a one-day flare-up that could have passed unnoticed had it been handled with intelligence.

Instead, Pandey chose the most counterproductive option by prohibiting the rally entirely. A flat denial of permission was never going to de-escalate tensions but would instead stoke flames of unrest, which is exactly what happened. The early-morning arrest of MNS leader Avinash Jadhav from his Thane residence turned him into a local hero. By attempting to preempt the protest with ham-fisted tactics, the police ensured it grabbed headlines, drew sympathisers from across party lines, and ballooned into an embarrassment for the state.

The result was chaos on the streets and a public relations disaster for the ruling Mahayuti coalition. Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik, who tried to ride the Marathi pride wave, was heckled and forced to retreat. Scenes of disarray went viral.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also handles the Home portfolio, tried to contain the fallout by claiming the rally was allowed but that the organisers chose a provocative route. That is splitting hairs. A controlled and permitted procession, kept under a tight police cordon, would likely have passed without incident. Besides being tactically inept, Pandey’s refusal to grant permission in hindsight was politically suicidal.

There is a bitter irony here. By trying to suppress the rally in the name of law and order, Pandey ended up amplifying it. A march that might have drawn a few hundred loyalists instead transmogrified into a symbol of state overreach and cultural affront.

The state government has now done what governments usually do when faced with such blunders: they’ve removed the officer. Pandey has been transferred with immediate effect and replaced by Niket Kaushik. But the damage is done. The BJP-led Mahayuti coalition has been made to look jittery, reactive and out of touch with the cultural currents it claims to represent.

In situations of identity-based tension, the job of the police is not to suppress dissent but to channel it safely. Denying permission gave the protest and the MNS more visibility, sympathy and momentum than they ever deserved.