Pune City Police on Wednesday arrested Ashish Sable, a worker of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), from Mumbai in connection with the controversy surrounding the forcible removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph from a government institution.
The arrest, made by the Chaturshingi Police Station, is part of an expanding crackdown following an FIR registered against Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) president Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, and 20 to 25 other party functionaries and workers.
The case stems from an incident at the Government Polytechnic College in Ganeshkhind, Pune. Amit Thackeray, who heads the party's student wing, had visited the campus to interact with students and review facilities, including the hostel, mess, and sanitation conditions.
During the visit, some students pointed out a wall in the principal's office where Modi's photograph was placed alongside portraits of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr B R Ambedkar.
Objecting to the placement, Thackeray reportedly argued that Shivaji Maharaj and Ambedkar were revered icons of Maharashtra who could not be equated with political leaders. MNS workers subsequently took down the Prime Minister's photograph despite resistance from college authorities.
Following the incident, college principal Dr Rajendra Kashiram Patil filed a formal complaint at the Chaturshingi Police Station.
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Based on this, an FIR was registered against Thackeray and 20-25 unidentified workers under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of unlawful assembly, criminal trespass, obstructing a public servant and criminal intimidation, along with sections of the Maharashtra Police Act.
Police have since launched a manhunt and apprehended several MNS workers, including Sable. Investigators are examining CCTV footage and recording statements to identify all those involved in the disruption.
The episode has triggered a sharp political row in Maharashtra. MNS leaders have defended the act, saying it was a matter of pride to stand up for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's honour, while BJP leaders and other political opponents have condemned the move as a stunt reflecting political immaturity.
Further investigation into the case is underway.
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