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The statue of late Meenatai Thackeray, the wife of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, at Shivaji Park here was defaced with oil paint on Wednesday.
Miscreants threw red paint on Meenatai Thackeray’s statue at Shivaji Park.
The statue of late Meenatai Thackeray, the wife of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, at Shivaji Park in Mumbai was defaced with oil paint after miscreants threw red paint on it, leading to political tensions. During the investigation, the police arrested a man on Wednesday evening who was identified through CCTV cameras.
The accused has been identified as Upendra Pawaskar. He is currently being interrogated.
The incident came to light when an onlooker spotted red oil paint on the bust of the statue and on the pedestal around 6:30 am on Wednesday. Following this, the workers of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) rushed to the spot and cleaned the premises.
Eight teams were formed to identify the perpetrators, the police said, adding that CCTV footage installed in the Shivaji Park area are been scanned.
An FIR was registered against unidentified persons under section 298 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with the intent to insult the religion of any class of persons) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) at Shivaji Park police station.
As emotions ran high among workers of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, Uddhav and his cousin Raj Thackeray visited the site separately.
Condemning the defacement, Uddhav said creating unrest in Maharashtra seems to be the motive. He said that the move could be done by someone who is shy to take the name of their parents and appealed to the party workers to exercise restraint.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also condemned the incident. “Police will trace anti-social elements involved (in the desecration) and take action. There is no need to give political colour to the incident,” Fadnavis added.
Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde also stated the culprits won’t be spared and strict action will be initiated. “I have spoken to the police commissioner. Even the CM is looking into it,” Shinde said.
This incident occurred after Sena (UBT) staged a ‘sindoor’ protest to oppose the India-Pakistan cricket match in the Asia Cup on September 14.
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
September 18, 2025, 08:44 IST
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