Bank Turns Into Protest Ground as MNS Workers Clash With Staff Over Loan Dispute
Bank Turns Into Protest Ground as MNS Workers Clash With Staff Over Loan Dispute
In a dramatic and disturbing scene on Monday, a Yes Bank branch on Mount Road in Nagpur became the centre of chaos after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers stormed the premises, physically assaulted a staff member, and defaced the bank’s property. The protest, sparked by a loan dispute involving a local borrower, quickly escalated into violence, prompting swift police intervention.
The issue began when Indrajit Baliram Mule, a borrower who had taken a loan from Yes Bank to purchase an earth-moving machine (JCB), claimed the bank wrongfully seized and sold off his equipment without informing him. According to Mule, he had been facing financial difficulties and had approached the bank multiple times to negotiate a solution. However, he alleged that the bank refused to offer any relief or settlement. Matters worsened when the machine was taken for a driving test at the Regional Transport Office (RTO), and the bank reportedly seized it and later sold it, leaving Mule shocked and helpless.
Feeling abandoned by the banking system, Mule turned to the MNS for support. Responding swiftly, a group of party workers led a demonstration outside the Yes Bank branch. What started as a protest, however, soon took a violent turn. Video footage circulating on social media shows MNS activists—wearing their signature saffron scarves—storming into the bank building, chanting slogans, and confronting the staff. In the footage, one worker is seen slapping a bank employee, while others splash black ink on the bank’s nameplate and scrawl angry slogans on the walls, accusing the bank of being “corrupt” and “anti-Maharashtra.”
Eyewitnesses described the situation as tense and frightening, with employees visibly shaken. Some MNS members reportedly recorded the incident on their phones as they entered the bank’s main hall and continued the verbal and physical assault. Police arrived shortly after the commotion and detained several individuals involved. Authorities have since confirmed that a formal investigation is underway and that legal proceedings will follow based on employee testimonies and CCTV footage.
Meanwhile, the bank has not released an official statement on the incident or on the claims made by Mule. However, questions are now being raised about whether the bank followed legal procedures in seizing and selling the JCB without proper notice or communication.
This recent unrest comes on the heels of another episode involving MNS workers, also in Nagpur, where party members confronted a different private bank over language issues. In that incident, tensions arose when bank officials allegedly requested a Hindi version of an FIR originally filed in Marathi. The MNS, which has long advocated for the prominence of the Marathi language, viewed the request as disrespectful and reacted strongly.
In recent weeks, MNS workers have been visibly active across Maharashtra. In Sindhudurg, they garlanded an excise officer with liquor bottles in protest against illegal alcohol sales. In another incident in Kalyan, MNS activists allegedly slapped the director of a coaching institute and hurled a water bottle at him, accusing the centre of charging exorbitant fees while failing to conduct proper classes.
These events unfold as the party gears up for upcoming civic polls, with MNS chief Raj Thackeray recently making headlines for his reunion with cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray after two decades of political estrangement. Raj had urged his party cadre to stay united, reminding them, “If we two brothers can come together after twenty years, then why are you fighting among yourselves?”
Despite these calls for internal peace, incidents like the Nagpur bank assault suggest that sections of the party are increasingly resorting to aggressive tactics to address grievances. While the MNS insists it is standing up for the rights of common citizens, critics argue that violence cannot be a substitute for due process.
As investigations continue, both the actions of the bank and the conduct of the MNS workers will likely come under legal and public scrutiny. For now, the Mount Road branch of Yes Bank remains under tight security, and employees are left to recover from a protest that crossed a dangerous line.
