Navi Mumbai: Just hours after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray criticized the growing number of illegal dance bars in Raigad district, MNS party workers allegedly vandalized a ladies bar in Panvel late Saturday night.
About The Vandalization
According to police, a group of 15 to 20 MNS workers attacked the Night Riders Live Orchestra Bar, located in Kone village on the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. The attackers reportedly hurled stones, broke glass doors, damaged signage, and beat the bar’s entrance with wooden sticks. They also allegedly abused staff members and issued death threats if the bar was not shut down.
Bar's Owner Files A Complaint
Following the incident, Ramanna Shetty, the bar’s owner, filed a complaint at the Panvel Taluka Police Station. Based on the complaint, police registered a case against several MNS workers, including city spokesperson Yogesh Chille, Rahul Chavan, Sanjay Murkute, Kiran Gurav, Akshay Hake, and others.
"The vandalism appears to be a direct fallout of Raj Thackeray’s speech delivered earlier in the day during the Shetkari Kamgar Paksha's Foundation Day event in Panvel. In his address, Thackeray criticized the proliferation of unauthorized bars in Raigad — a district historically recognized as the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," a police sources said.
He remarked that the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj is being disrespected as Raigad is increasingly becoming known for illegal dance bars. He questioned how such establishments could continue to operate in a place of such historical and cultural importance. Thackeray also raised concerns about non-Marathi bar owners purchasing land from local farmers and the dual exploitation they face—through both economic coercion and administrative inaction.
Police have begun investigating the case and are in the process of identifying and locating all the accused.
