Locals protest as Gujarati signboard vandalised

Residents who passed by the neighbourhood in Ghatkopar East on Tuesday morning, saw the board taken down, broken up and left on the side of the road. This led to unrest within the community, following which around 50 residents turned up at the site in protest, with black sashes across their mouths

MUMBAI In a second instance within a week, a public signboard scripted in Gujarati was vandalised in Ghatkopar. The signboard, put up in 2016, bore the name of the area – R B Mehta Road – near Meena Lochana housing society, in the native language.

Local staged a protest against unknown persons who broke Gujarati road name boards last night at Ghatkopar. (Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times)

Residents who passed by the neighbourhood in Ghatkopar East on Tuesday morning, saw the board taken down, broken up and left on the side of the road. This led to unrest within the community, following which around 50 residents turned up at the site in protest, with black sashes across their mouths.

The local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former corporator Pravin Chheda has held the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) responsible for the act.

On Sunday morning, a signage in Gujarati ‘Maru Ghatkopar’ on Jawahar Road, was damaged by workers of Shiv Sena (UBT).

After Tuesday’s incident, Chheda led the protest. A non-cognizable offence was registered at Pantnagar police station and the assistant commissioner of police visited the site.

“R B Mehta was a freedom fighter who laid down his life in service of the country. What did the protesters get out of removing the Gujarati board? This is being done to create differences between the Gujarati and Marathi communities, which have lived peacefully in Ghatkopar,” said Chheda. Chheda was the leader of opposition in BMC. He had started his career in BJP, moved to Congress and returned to BJP eventually.

Reacting to Chheda’s allegation, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said, “If anyone wants to put a board in Gujarati, they can go their state and do it. Only Marathi signboards can be put up in Mumbai.”

While the Shiv Sena (UBT) vibhag pramukh, Rajendra Raut, said his men were not involved in the vandalism, leader of the party Sanjay Raut said, “They want to reduce the Marathi influence on Mumbai, but our party is a watchdog.”

Senior inspector of Pantnager police station, Ravidatt Sawant, said, “We have registered an FIR for Sunday’s incident, while in Tuesday’s case we have registered a non-cognisable offence.”