Shiv Sena Pune district president Surendra Jeware sparked a protest by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday after he covered a cut-out of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Ajit Pawar with a black cloth. The incident occurred after Deputy CM Ajit Pawar failed to attend a Ganesh festival event organised by Jeware, leading to heightened tensions and police intervention, reported news agency PTI. Jeware, who has organised the Ganesh festival in Pune district in CM Eknath Shinde's name, was subsequently detained by the police.

The Shiv Sena, led by Shinde, and NCP, headed by Pawar, are both part of the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, which also includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Jeware had organised the 'Eknath Ganesh Festival' at Bhigwan Chowk in Baramati taluka and had put up large cut-outs of Shinde, Ajit Pawar, and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at the venue.