Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders on Sunday alleged a potential security breach after a drone was reportedly seen hovering near ‘Matoshree’, the Bandra residence of former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. The incident, flagged by senior party leaders Aaditya Thackeray and MLC Anil Parab, sparked political tension before Mumbai Police clarified that the drone was part of an officially authorized survey by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Anil Parab, in a post on X, said the drone was visible over the high-security zone surrounding Matoshree and demanded a formal investigation. He urged the police to identify the operator and determine the motive behind what he termed “aerial filming” of a sensitive location. He also raised the possibility of a “terrorist background”, calling the incident alarming because drone operations are heavily restricted in high-security areas like Bandra, where Matoshree is located.

Parab said the presence of a drone without explicit permission amounted to a grave breach. He demanded a detailed inquiry to establish the purpose of the drone, identify those responsible, and address concerns among the public.

Responding to the controversy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 8) Manish Kalwaniya dismissed the allegations of a security lapse. He clarified that the drone was operating as part of an MMRDA-approved survey of the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). He urged citizens and political leaders to “avoid misinformation,” stressing that the drone activity had prior authorization.

Despite the police clarification, Aaditya Thackeray described the episode as “shameful” and symptomatic of what he called an emerging “surveillance state”. In his post, Aaditya claimed that the drone hovered at the window level of the family residence and ascended abruptly only after they began recording it on camera. He argued that residents should have been informed in advance if the drone was part of an official survey.

He questioned the lack of public notification, asking how many other residences may have been inadvertently or deliberately captured during the survey. Drawing a parallel to the Election Commission’s strict regulations preventing voter privacy violations at polling booths, he said the drone’s proximity to private windows was indefensible.

According to Aaditya, even if the MMRDA was conducting a survey of the BKC area, the explanation did not justify what he described as intrusive and opaque conduct. He argued that no global government agency would defend such “police-state actions” under the guise of a survey.

The controversy comes amid heightened political activity by Uddhav Thackeray, who recently toured the Marathwada region to meet farmers hit by heavy rain and flooding. There, he criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP-led Mahayuti government over its relief measures. Thackeray reiterated the Opposition’s demands for ₹50,000 per hectare compensation and a complete farm loan waiver, accusing the government of failing to meet the scale of distress.

Uddhav Thackeray’s strained relationship with the BJP continues to shape Maharashtra’s political landscape. After the 2019 assembly elections, he ended the long-standing Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government with the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP). The coalition collapsed in 2022 when Eknath Shinde led a rebellion, took control of the Shiv Sena name and symbol, and formed government with the BJP.

In this backdrop, the drone incident has added fuel to ongoing political friction. While the police have dismissed wrongdoing, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders maintain that the unexplained approach of a drone toward one of Maharashtra’s most heavily guarded residences warrants deeper scrutiny. The issue is likely to continue reverberating in state politics as the Opposition escalates its criticism of the government’s security and administrative practices.