Pune PM Modi Photo Row: MNS Chief Raj Thackeray’s Son Amit Gets Portrait Removed, College Puts It Back Later

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Pune PM Modi Photo Row: MNS Chief Raj Thackeray’s Son Amit Gets Portrait Removed, College Puts It Back Later

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Last Updated: August 31, 2026, 19:57 IST

FIR against Amit Thackeray, party workers: MNS chief Raj Thackeray's son was visiting the college to inspect student infrastructure, canteen food quality, and sports facilities

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Amit Thackeray; (right) the portrait in question. (News18 Marathi)

A political controversy erupted in Pune on Monday after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s son ordered his supporters to remove a portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the principal’s office at the Government Polytechnic College in Ganeshkhind.

The photo was later reinstalled by the college administration to restore official government protocol.

WHY WAS THE PHOTO REMOVED?

Amit Thackeray was visiting the college to inspect student infrastructure, canteen food quality, and sports facilities. Upon entering the principal’s office, he noticed PM Narendra Modi’s photograph placed directly adjacent to portraits of historic icons Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

Thackeray took strong exception to the placement, questioning the principal on why the Prime Minister’s photo was equated alongside Shivaji Maharaj. He argued that government protocol photos of current leaders should be placed on a separate wall. At his behest, MNS workers took the picture down, News18 Marathi reported.

HOW WAS IT PUT BACK?

Following sharp criticism and anger from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who condemned the act as “political immaturity" and a violation of mandatory display protocols for constitutional posts, the college administration quickly reinstalled the photograph.

The administration put the portrait back up on the wall before BJP workers arrived at the campus with plans to forcefully reinstall it themselves, said the report.

LEGAL FALLOUT

As a direct consequence of the removal, local police registered an FIR against Amit Thackeray and 20 to 25 unidentified MNS party workers for pulling down the official portrait.

ALSO DUMPED ONION CRATE

While inspecting the campus after students complained about unhygienic hostel conditions and substandard food, Thackeray visited the college mess and canteen. There, he discovered crates of completely rotten onions and was shown photos of worms allegedly found in the student food.

Infuriated by the health hazard, Thackeray physically carried the rotten onions straight into the professors’ and principal’s offices. He presented the bad food to the authorities, demanding to know how they could serve such quality to students, and threatened an aggressive MNS agitation if conditions didn’t improve immediately.

With News18 Marathi inputs

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Quick Answers Powered by Ask News18 How will BJP respond to this MNS action? BJP leaders have expressed anger and accused Amit Thackeray of insulting the Prime Minister following the removal of PM Modi's photo. BJP leaders Dhiraj Ghate and Navnath Ban have commented on the MNS's actions, with Ban demanding that a case be registered against Amit Thackeray. Powered by Ask News18

About the Author Manjiri Joshi At the news desk for 20 years, the story of her life has revolved around finding pun, facts while reporting, on radio, heading a daily newspaper desk, teaching mass media students to now editing speci... Read More

First Published: August 31, 2026, 19:29 IST

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