The police on Tuesday detained several Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers who were protesting against traders for allegedly not speaking Marathi, reported news agency ANI.

The protest was part of a larger controversy surrounding the use of language in the city. MNS workers had gathered in the Mira-Bhayandar area to protest against traders who they claimed were not speaking Marathi.

The police had earlier denied permission for the rally, citing intelligence inputs and potential law and order issues. Despite this, the MNS workers went ahead with their protest, leading to their detention by the police, reported ANI.