Heavy police deployment for MNS march on Sunday

A large number of police personnel will be deployed along route of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's morcha on Sunday in Mumbai, an official said on Saturday. Raj Thackeray-led party has organised march demanding eviction of illegal (Muslim) immigrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh staying in India.

Thousands of MNS activists are expected to participate in 'Mahamorcha', set to begin around 12 on from Hindu Gymkhana along Marine Drive to Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. Thackeray is scheduled to address garing at Maidan.

"Apart from local police, personnel of State Reserve Police Force (DRPF), Riot Control Police, Quick Response Teams (QRTs), Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS), and additional 600 policemen will be deployed on morcha route," Mumbai Police spokesperson said.

He also said that police personnel in civvies will mingle with crowd to keep an eye on anti-social elements.

"Besides, CCTVs and drones will be used for monitoring crowd," he said.

Some roads will remain closed for vehicular movement while traffic on or roads will be diverted on Sunday in view of march, ar official said. In moves viewed as his party's endeavour to jump onto Hindutva bandwagon, MNS chief had last month launched a new saffron flag bearing royal seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

According to political observers, MNS, which was relegated to margins in Maharashtra politics after successive electoral drubbings in last ten years, is trying to fill Hindutva vacuum believed to have been created after Shiv Sena joined hands with NCP and Congress to form a government in vember last year. In his recent interview to party mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena president and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had denied that his party had abandoned nda of Hindutva.