Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey on Sunday condemned the sighting of a drone near Matoshree, the residence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray in Bandra, calling it an act of “dirty politics” ahead of the upcoming local body elections, according to the ANI.
“The whole of Mumbai knows that Matoshree is the residence of the Thackeray family. If a survey has to be done by drone, residents should be informed in advance,” he told the ANI.
He alleged that someone was “deliberately trying to keep an eye” on the Thackeray household, adding, “If we had not objected, who knows how long this would have continued? This kind of surveillance is not right,” he said while speaking to ANI.
Dubey stressed that the Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest the forthcoming BMC elections through “the politics of ideas”, not personal attacks. “When the Mumbai civic election happens, we will fight on development and people’s issues, but this dirty politics is unacceptable,” he said.
He also urged the authorities to conduct a fair investigation into the incident and to ensure transparency in the use of drones for any official survey work.
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: On a drone near Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray`s residence, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey says, “The whole of Mumbai knows that Kala Nagar`s `Matoshree` is the residence of the Thackeray family… If a survey is to be done by a drone,… pic.twitter.com/z7hwQMLCtH
— ANI (@ANI) November 9, 2025
`Matoshree`, located in Mumbai`s Bandra area, is a heavily guarded residence.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police sources clarified that the drone survey had proper permission and was taking place in BKC and the nearby Kherwadi area. Authorities urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation regarding the operation.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) stated the drone exercise was conducted to aid a visual study of the approved alignment for the Personal Rapid Transit (POD) taxi project along Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
The authority had secured all necessary approvals from the police department on behalf of the concessionaire, and the survey, carried out over the past two days, was monitored by police personnel and officials concerned, it said.
The project is being executed on a public-private partnership basis and is progressing as planned, it stated.
MMRDA reiterated that all necessary permissions were obtained by MMRDA on behalf of the concessionaire from the Police Department, and every instruction issued by them was strictly adhered to.
The certified drone operator, whose background verification has already been submitted, adhered to all instructions issued by the authorities. The operation remained fully restricted to the permitted route without any deviation, the agency stated.
“The operation remained fully compliant and restricted to the approved alignment, with no breach or deviation at any stage,” the MMRDA said on Sunday.
(with PTI inputs)
