Mumbai: Tensions escalated on Friday over a signboard at a Mumbai Metro station that reads Kotak–Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Metro, as Shiv Sena (UBT) workers gathered in protest outside the station, calling it a dishonour to Maharashtra’s pride.
In a symbolic act of defiance, a man was seen placing a white sticker over the word ‘Kotak’ on the signboard, a move that has since gone viral on social media.
The protest follows a post by Shiv Sena (UBT) on X, where the party condemned the use of a corporate prefix alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in a metro station name.
“For the advertising gimmicks of industrialist friends, tampering with the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj! This insult Maharashtra will not tolerate!” the party posted.
About Metro Line 3
The controversial signage is part of the under-construction Mumbai Metro Line 3 (also known as the Aqua Line). This fully underground corridor will connect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in South Mumbai to SEEPZ in the city’s western suburbs. CSMT is set to become a key interchange station, adding to the sensitivity around its naming.
Sticker Protest Goes Viral
A photo shows a protester, amid slogans and placards, climbing up and placing a white sticker over ‘Kotak’ on the signboard, effectively highlighting public anger against what Sena (UBT) terms 'corporate tampering' with Maharashtra’s heritage.
While metro authorities have yet to respond officially, the image has stirred a larger conversation about branding rights in public infrastructure, particularly when it involves historical names or icons.
The controversy may have started with a single signboard, but it’s rapidly turning into a flashpoint in Mumbai’s ongoing struggle between heritage and commercialisation.
