Shiv Sena (UBT) claims drone seen over Uddhav's home, cops say it was MMRDA approved survey
Aaditya Thackeray said that the drone hovered at window level till they started video recording it.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab on Sunday claimed a drone was spotted hovering over 'Matoshree', the Mumbai residence of party head and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, and raised concerns about a potential breach in a high-security zone.
In a post on X, Parab said the police should investigate the matter, find out the identity of the drone operator and the motive behind the aerial "filming". He also wondered if there was any "terrorist background" behind it.
'Matoshree', located in Mumbai's Bandra area, is a heavily guarded residence. Parab said that flying a drone or filming with it in such a sensitive, high-security area without prior permission is a grave matter.
"A drone was spotted hovering over 'Matoshree'. This raises serious concerns about a potential security breach in a high-security zone," the legislator claimed.
He demanded a detailed inquiry to determine the purpose behind the drone activity, identify the individuals responsible, and clarify the background of the incident to dispel public apprehension.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 8) Manish Kalwaniya, however, said the drone was part of a survey being conducted with the permission of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in the nearby Bandra-Kurla Complex area.
"Please avoid misinformation," the DCP added to quell the speculation surrounding the sighting.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, meanwhile, termed the incident "shameful", alleging that it reflected that the country was turning into a "surveillance state".
In a post on X, he claimed the drone was seen hovering at window level until they began recording it, after which it flew away erratically.
"The drone surveillance of our house today is a shameful incident, yet doesn't shock us, with the kind of surveillance state that we live in," the Sena (UBT) leader said.
"The drone hovered at our window level till we started video recording it, and then went erratically up and away when the operator realised we were recording it," he wrote.
He further questioned why the residents were not informed that the drone was part of a survey of the BKC with police permission.
"Even if the MMRDA claims it was doing a survey of BKC, by not informing the residents, how many people's homes have they looked into?" he asked.
Drawing a comparison with the Election Commission's restrictions on releasing footage from voting booths to protect voter privacy, Aaditya Thackeray said, "Here, the drone operator is peeping into our window, and later the MMRDA says it was for the whole of BKC. No other government agency globally would be able to justify such police-state actions under the name of 'survey'."
Uddhav Thackeray recently visited the Marathwada region and interacted with farmers affected by heavy rains and floods over the last few months.
He has targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the relief package announced by the BJP-led Mahayuti government, and stressed the Opposition's demand for ₹50,000 per hectare compensation for crop losses and a complete farm loan waiver.
After the 2019 Maharashtra assembly polls, Thackeray snapped ties with the BJP and entered into an alliance with the Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) to form a government.
The Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed in 2022 following a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde.
