Tensions flared late Saturday night after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers stormed and vandalized a dance bar in Panvel, just hours after party chief Raj Thackeray voiced strong criticism over the mushrooming of such establishments across Raigad district.
The targeted venue, Night Rider, located near the busy Mumbai-Pune Expressway, reportedly operated well past permitted hours. Around midnight, MNS members armed with sticks barged into the bar and wreaked havoc — shattering property in a dramatic show of defiance sparked by their leader’s fiery remarks.
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VIDEO | Maharashtra: MNS workers allegedly vandalised Night Rider Dance Bar in Panvel last night. More details awaited.
(Source: Third party)
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Raj Thackeray’s Statement
Thackeray had remarked that it was inappropriate for so many dance bars to exist in Raigad, a district he referred to as the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Echoing his sentiments, MNS workers targeted Night Rider, a bar allegedly known for staying open well past legal hours. Armed with sticks, the group barged into the establishment around midnight on Saturday and caused extensive damage
Earlier in the day, during an address at the Shetkari Kamgar Party’s annual gathering, Raj Thackeray had slammed the growing presence of dance bars in Raigad — a region steeped in Maratha history and regarded as the symbolic capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Thackeray didn’t hold back. “Raigad, which once echoed with the legacy of Shivaji Maharaj, now houses the highest number of dance bars,” he said. “Most of these are owned by Marathi-speaking individuals who are being exploited in the name of business.”
Framing the proliferation of such establishments as a cultural and moral decline, Thackeray urged citizens to wake up to the consequences. His comments struck a chord — and in a swift, visible reaction, MNS workers took matters into their own hands.
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