Drone Buzzing Over Uddhav Thackeray's Matoshree Residence Sparks 'Surveillance' Fears - What It Truly Was

A drone was spotted near former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence in Mumbai, raising allegations of "surveillance" by Shiv Sena (UBT). After the drone was spotted near the highly guarded residence of the Thackerays in the Bandra area, Aaditya alleged that the country was turning into a "surveillance state". "The drone surveillance of our house today is a shameful incident, yet doesn't shock us, with the kind of surveillance state that we live in," the Sena (UBT) leader stated on X. But the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has clarified what the UAV truly was. Responding to Aaditya Thackeray's post on X, MMRDA said the drone was for a POD taxi project survey and was flown with prior permission of the police. The 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). 'All permissions were obtained by police': MMRDA 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 also 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 added. But the explanation did not go well with the party. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey asked reporters, "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, it should be informed in advance. But what kind of survey is the MMRDA conducting on Sunday, with police permission, that only shows the 'Matoshree' premises?" The party has demanded a fair investigation into the matter. (With agency inputs) For the Latest news, India News, Bihar Election 2025 updates and breaking stories from around the world, visit Times Now for live coverage and in-depth reporting.