'For three months Raj Thackeray becomes a staunch Hindu and for the next three months he becomes anti-Hindu.'
In the heart of Mumbai, where political rivalries play out as fiercely as IPL matches, a seemingly routine political statement made through a banner turned into a high-voltage drama.
It wasn't a massive protest, a large rally, or a violent agitation -- just two Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on their phones, hectic conversations on their mobiles by these two with other MNS workers and leaders about this banner, and the sheer weight of political influence that made this said banner disappear just eight hours after they were put up.
The Eight-Hour Drama
The banner went up in the early hours of the morning -- around 4:30 am -- planted strategically right opposite Shiv Sena Bhavan, the headquarters of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party near Shivaji Park.
It was the handiwork of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) corporator Samadhan Sarwankar, who wanted to make a pointed statement about MNS chief Raj Thackeray's shifting political stands.
By 9 am, Sarwankar was standing beneath it, giving interviews, confidently explaining his stance and taking on Raj Thackeray's on-off Hindutva mode.
But by noon, the banner was gone.
What happened in those crucial three hours?
Witnesses say that just two MNS workers showed up, expressed their displeasure, made hectic phone calls and seemed agitated when it caught the attention of a police van stationed near the Shiv Sena Bhavan: Either the authorities remove the banner, or they would take matters into their own hands, these two MNS workers made it clear. That was enough.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swiftly dispatched staff and the banner was taken down.
A local shopkeeper who saw it unfold was stunned. "The speed with which the BMC reacted was shocking. The police didn't even try to argue. It was as if they were more concerned about avoiding trouble."
The Message Behind the Banner
At the centre of this storm was Raj Thackeray's comments about the Mahakumbh and the pollution in the Ganga river. Sarwankar's banner took a sharp dig at Thackeray, although he didn't name anybody in that banner.
The banner which was in Marathi, said: The water of river Ganga is pure. But what about thoughts of some people?
Thackeray was being called out for what Sarwankar and his supporters see as political opportunism, shifting between religious rhetoric and criticism based on electoral needs.
While standing under the banner before its removal, Samadhan Sarwankar said: "If he's positioning himself as a Hindu leader, he shouldn't target Hindus selectively. His remarks on the Mahakumbh were wrong. While concerns about pollution (of the Ganga) are valid, this event brought together 60 crore Hindus."
"The Kumbh Mela itself shouldn't be blamed and he did just that during his Gudhi Padwa rally (on March 30 at Shivaji Park)."
Interestingly, the banner didn't name Raj Thackeray. "We only opposed his statement. But it looks like the MNS couldn't handle even that level of criticism," Sarwankar added.
Raj Thackeray's Political See-Saw
This isn't the first time Raj Thackeray's political stance has shifted dramatically. In the past, he has aligned with the BJP, praised Devendra Fadnavis, predicted before the assembly election results that he would be Maharashtra's next chief minister while on other occasions he ensured that he criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Fadnavis and even the BJP's and Fadnavis's plans to communalise the issue of Aurangzeb's tomb.
A veteran political analyst summed it up: "Raj Thackeray's politics is less about ideology and more about timing. His stance depends on what suits him at the moment."
"For three months Raj Thackeray becomes a staunch Hindu and for the next three months he becomes anti-Hindu," adds Sarwankar. "His workers may have got my banner removed but the sentiments of Hindus are deeply hurt and that would show some day."
An MNS functionary dismissed Sarwankar's banner as a desperate attempt to stay relevant: "Samadhan is just trying to gain favour within his party. His father Sada Sarwankar still hasn't gotten over the loss of the Mahim Vidhan Sabha seat."
Old Rivalries, New Flashpoints
Raj Thackeray's son Amit had contested the November 2024 assembly election against Sada Sarwankar from Mumbai's Mahim constituency and despite efforts from Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis to dissuade him from contesting against Amit, Sarwankar contested and lost. Amit Thackeray too lost the election with Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Mahesh Sawant pipping the two to the post.
That electoral battle left scars, and this banner controversy is just another chapter in that ongoing feud.
"This isn't just about a banner. It's a continuation of an old rivalry," noted a local political analyst. "The wounds from that election still run deep."
BMC Elections 2025: A Political Powder Keg
The BMC elections in October-November 2025 loom large over every political move in Mumbai. With shifting alliances and power struggles, every party is on high alert. The MNS is being speculated as a potential ally for the BJP, which could change the entire equation in Mumbai's political landscape.
A former MNS worker who has now joined the SS (UBT) puts it bluntly: "The speed at which the banner was removed tells you everything. Authorities are already reading the political winds and adjusting their actions accordingly."
Samadhan Sarwankar insisted his banner had nothing to do with the elections. "Elections are still far away. This was about a statement, not votes," he claimed.
Political observers remain sceptical -- early skirmishes like this often set the stage for bigger battles ahead. "We have seen it in the past. We will see the same drama play out as soon as the BMC elections are announced," adds a political observer.
Who Calls the Shots?
Perhaps the most troubling part of the incident was the police and BMC response -- or rather, the lack of it. Witnesses confirm that the police made no attempt to intervene when the two MNS workers effectively dictated terms.
"They just stood there. It was like they already knew they wouldn't get involved no matter what happened," a shopkeeper, who had a front row seat to the unfolding drama, said.
"If two MNS workers can override official permissions and compel authorities to act within hours, what does that say about the city's governance?" asks a Shiv Sena leader who expressed his displeasure about the taking down of the banner.
More Than Just a Banner
The drama that began at 4.30 in the morning and ended with a damp squib by noon ended up revealing much more than just party rivalry. "It showcased how power operates in Mumbai -- how political influence, threats of violence can easily override the police and bureaucracy, how authorities respond to pressure, and how even a small act of defiance can make authorities bend before hooliganism," the Shiv Sena leader adds.
As the 2025 BMC elections draw closer, this incident is just a glimpse of the battles to come. With alliances shifting and rivalries deepening, Mumbai's political landscape is only going to get more volatile.
And if this episode proved anything, it's that in Mumbai's politics, numbers don't always matter -- perception of power does. And sometimes, all it takes is two people to shake the system.
With inputs from Sahil Salvi
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