The Maharashtra government transferred Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissioner Madhukar Pandey on Wednesday, a day after a contentious protest march led by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and other groups defending Marathi 'asmita' (pride). The march was sparked by an attack on a shopkeeper for refusing to speak Marathi. IPS officer Niket Kaushik, previously ADG Anti-Corruption Bureau, has been appointed as the new MBVV Police Commissioner, while Pandey moves to ADG Administration.

The protest in Mira Bhayandar township near Mumbai saw high drama on Tuesday, with police detaining several activists, including MNS leader Avinash Jadhav, at 3:30 am to prevent his participation, citing a prohibitory order. Jadhav was later released. Leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) joined the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti-led rally, which turned chaotic when Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik was heckled and forced to leave by demonstrators.

The BJP-led government faced criticism for its handling of the rally, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarifying that permission was granted but the MNS’s chosen route raised law-and-order concerns. The transfer of Pandey underscores the state’s response to the escalating tensions and public outcry over the protest’s management.

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