Red paint on statue of Meenatai Thackeray, wife of Bal Thackeray, in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders and workers rushed to the spot after being alerted. Party workers Chandrakant Jhagde and Ajit Kadam cleaned the statue and the surrounding area and several Sena workers gathered at the site. Shiv Sena (UBT) insiders said party chief Uddhav Thackeray, son of Bal and Meenatai Thackeray, is also likely to visit the site later in the afternoon.

Uddhav Sena MP Anil Desai condemned the act, calling it “a result of the government’s failure”. He said, “These are acts of cowards… this government is busy with programmes while Mumbai’s safety is being compromised. This is not just an attack on a statue, but a reflection of the state’s indifference.”

Local MLA Mahesh Sawant said the police assured them that details of the accused will be available by afternoon. “CCTV shows everything was normal until 6.10 am. That means the incident happened after that. The police are tracking the person who threw the red paint,” he said.

The police said if the Sena (UBT) does not file a formal complaint, they will initiate action suo motu. “We are examining footage from multiple cameras in the vicinity,” a senior officer said.

The incident sparked protests outside Mumbai as well with Sena (UBT) workers announcing that they will hold demonstrations condemning the attempt to desecrate Meenatai’s statue.

Meenatai Thackeray, who passed away in 1995, was revered by Shiv Sena workers, and her bust has stood at Shivaji Park for years.

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