PUNE: Tensions escalated between the workers of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) group part of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as their respective senior leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Narayan Rane arrived at the site of a collapsed statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Malvan on Wednesday, leading to a confrontation. As the police tried to control the clashing workers, a policeman was injured in the physical altercation and stone-pelting.

The incident unfolded inside Rajkot Fort, the site of the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue in Malvan, when groups associated with Thackeray and Rane reached the site along with their supporters almost simultaneously. As the two groups converged, verbal altercations quickly escalated into physical confrontations. Supporters of both leaders shouted slogans, and tensions flared as Rane's supporters attempted to push through to the area where Thackeray was present.

During the chaos, Rane was seen seizing a microphone from a media person, further intensifying the situation. Aaditya Thackeray later expressed his disappointment over the incident, labelling it as “unfortunate” and “immature.” He emphasized the need for political discourse to remain civil, despite the heated atmosphere surrounding the statue’s collapse, which has become a focal point for political tensions in the region.

After the two parties’ workers clashed, MVA partner NCP (Sharad Pawar) Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil attempted to calm the situation by meeting Nilesh Rane. However, Nilesh initially refused to allow Aaditya to exit from the main door and told Patil to take him out by the back door, which Aaditya, in turn, refused. After two hours of conflict, it was decided that the Rane camp would control its supporters and allow the opposition leaders to leave the fort from the main entrance. Aaditya Thackeray and Jayant Patil then left under heavy police protection from the site.