A political controversy erupted in Pune on Monday after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray asked his supporters to remove a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the office of a government polytechnic institute.

Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, was visiting educational institutions in the city. At the polytechnic, he went to meet the principal and inspect the mess and hostel facilities, as reported by the Free Press Journal. During the visit, he objected to the photograph of the Prime Minister being displayed next to a photograph of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The wall also carried photographs of Dr BR Ambedkar and President Droupadi Murmu, according to both the Free Press Journal and The Times of India.

Despite the presence of the other photographs, Thackeray asked his supporters to remove the Prime Minister's photograph. The incident quickly drew a reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which criticised the MNS for the action.

Ganesh Bidkar, Leader of the House in the Pune Municipal Corporation, said photographs of national leaders are displayed in government offices as per official protocol. "These photographs are installed in every government establishment as per protocol. However, MNS workers have shown political immaturity by removing the photograph of the Prime Minister," Bidkar said, as quoted in both reports.

The removal has led to a fresh political dispute between the MNS and the BJP, with the latter questioning the action taken by Thackeray and his supporters, the Free Press Journal reported. Thackeray was reportedly questioning the college administration over various issues when he noticed the photographs in the office.