A drone sighting near Matoshree, the Bandra (East) residence of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Sunday afternoon triggered political controversy and security concerns.
According to MLA and former state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, the drone was seen “peeping into” the Thackeray residence before quickly flying away once it was spotted.
In a post on X, Aaditya wrote, “A drone was caught peeping into our residence this morning. The MMRDA says it was a survey for BKC with police permission. Okay. What survey allows you to peep inside homes and fly out quickly when spotted?”
He further questioned why residents had not been informed about the activity. “Why weren’t residents informed? Is MMRDA only surveying our house for BKC?” he asked, adding that instead of such “surveillance”, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) should “focus on its corruption-ridden projects like the MTHL (Atal Setu)”.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab also expressed alarm over the incident, demanding clarity on the drone’s ownership and purpose. “A drone was seen hovering near Matoshree, the residence of our party chief, Uddhav Thackeray. The question is, whose drone was it, and for what purpose?” he said.
Parab raised concerns about potential security lapses, noting that the Thackeray residence falls within a high-security zone. “Why was filming done without informing anyone? Could there be any extremist background or conspiracy behind it? Conducting such drone activity in a Z+ security zone is extremely serious,” he said, urging authorities to “investigate the drone’s intent, responsible individuals and background to clear the doubts in the minds of Shiv Sainiks and citizens”.
Responding to the controversy, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone VIII) Manish Kalwaniya confirmed that the drone was part of an authorised survey. “A drone survey with permission from the MMRDA is going on in BKC and the Kherwadi area. Please avoid any misinformation,” he said.
The police have not reported any breach of security, but the incident has sparked political tension, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders demanding greater transparency around drone operations in sensitive zones.
