Pune, 21st September 2026: Social media influencer Mahesh Mote was allegedly taken to an MNS office in Katraj by party workers after they objected to remarks he made about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in a social media reel.
According to MNS leader Shubham Jagdale, party workers learnt that Mote had returned to Pune after spending around 15–20 days in Kerala. Workers allegedly approached him at a park in the Katraj area and took him to the MNS public relations office.
Videos of the incident circulating on social media show Mote apologising with folded hands before a photograph of Raj Thackeray. Black ink can also be seen smeared on his face. In the video, he is made to perform sit-ups with slippers placed on his head.
Mote is seen crying while apologising in a video released by MNS workers. He expressed regret over his remarks concerning Raj Thackeray, MNS office-bearers and Shubham Jagdale.
Mote said he had made the comments inadvertently and expressed regret over the reel. He also appealed to MNS workers not to trouble him further. Jagdale, who is the MNS sub-divisional president for the Hadapsar Assembly constituency, alleged that Mote had posted the reel around 15 days earlier and used abusive language against Raj Thackeray.
Jagdale said Mote was made to apologise before Raj Thackeray's photograph. He referred to the action as "Mahaprasad" and said it was the MNS's way of responding to such remarks. He also said MNS workers would respond in a similar manner to people who made insulting remarks about Raj Thackeray.
The MNS did not provide details of the specific remarks that led to the action. However, an earlier video posted by Mote included comments about his moustache.
In the video, Mote questioned why he was mocked in the comments after shaving his moustache, while similar comments were not made about political leaders.
He said, "If after removing my moustache, people are taunting me as a transgender in the comments, why don't you say the same towards political leaders, like Raj Thackeray, who had removed his moustache for so many years?"
The videos showing the incident have since circulated on social media.