Story perspectives

MNS Detains Influencer, Forces Apology Over Raj Thackeray Reel

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 10:06 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

MNS workers detained influencer Mahesh Mote, Pune and forced him to apologize for a reel mocking Raj Thackeray, MNS chief.
MNS leaders called the forced apology a “MNS style” response, labeling it “Mahaprasad” for anyone insulting Raj Thackeray, MNS chief.
Sub-divisional president Shubham Jagdale said Mote used extremely abusive language against Raj Thackeray, MNS chief, in the video.
Jagdale said workers tracked Mote after his Kerala trip, seized him in Katraj, and took him to the PR office.
Mote’s Instagram apology video shows him with ink on his face, doing sit-ups while a slipper sits on his head.

History

Historical Context

In March 2006 Raj Thackeray split from Shiv Sena to launch the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, pledging to protect Marathi identity. The party’s early tactics—violent shaming of critics, 2008 attacks on North-Indian shopkeepers, and winning 13 assembly seats in the 2009 election—set a precedent for intimidation. That legacy resurfaced in 2024 when influencer Mahesh Mote was detained and forced to apologise publicly.

1 of 2

Story summary

MNS workers detained influencer Mahesh Mote, Pune and forced him to apologize for a reel mocking Raj Thackeray, MNS chief.
MNS leaders called the forced apology a “MNS style” response, labeling it “Mahaprasad” for anyone insulting Raj Thackeray, MNS chief.
Sub-divisional president Shubham Jagdale said Mote used extremely abusive language against Raj Thackeray, MNS chief, in the video.
Jagdale said workers tracked Mote after his Kerala trip, seized him in Katraj, and took him to the PR office.
Mote’s Instagram apology video shows him with ink on his face, doing sit-ups while a slipper sits on his head.

1 / 2