Mumbai Metro-3 Aqua Line: 'This Insult Maharashtra Won't Tolerate', Sena UBT Slams Kotak Branding On Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Metro Signboard

Mumbai: Tensions escalated on Friday over a signboard at a Mumbai Metro station that reads Kotak–Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Metro, as Shiv Sena (UBT) workers gathered in protest outside the station, calling it a dishonour to Maharashtra’s pride.

In a symbolic act of defiance, a man was seen placing a white sticker over the word ‘Kotak’ on the signboard, a move that has since gone viral on social media.

The protest follows a post by Shiv Sena (UBT) on X, where the party condemned the use of a corporate prefix alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in a metro station name.

“For the advertising gimmicks of industrialist friends, tampering with the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj! This insult Maharashtra will not tolerate!” the party posted.

उद्योगपती मित्रांच्या जाहिरातबाजीसाठी
छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराजांच्या नावासोबत छेडछाड!

हा अपमान महाराष्ट्र खपवून घेणार नाही! pic.twitter.com/riKae0r26m

— ShivSena - शिवसेना Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (@ShivSenaUBT_) August 1, 2025

About Metro Line 3

The controversial signage is part of the under-construction Mumbai Metro Line 3 (also known as the Aqua Line). This fully underground corridor will connect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in South Mumbai to SEEPZ in the city’s western suburbs. CSMT is set to become a key interchange station, adding to the sensitivity around its naming.

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Sticker Protest Goes Viral

A photo shows a protester, amid slogans and placards, climbing up and placing a white sticker over ‘Kotak’ on the signboard, effectively highlighting public anger against what Sena (UBT) terms 'corporate tampering' with Maharashtra’s heritage.

#WATCH | #Mumbai: #ShivSenaUBT Workers Protest Against Underground Metro Station Name Of ‘Kotak Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus’, Cover 'Kotak' On Name Board With Sticker

Video by @vijaygohil3419 #MumbaiNews pic.twitter.com/iBMm4gqvMG

— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) August 1, 2025

While metro authorities have yet to respond officially, the image has stirred a larger conversation about branding rights in public infrastructure, particularly when it involves historical names or icons.

The controversy may have started with a single signboard, but it’s rapidly turning into a flashpoint in Mumbai’s ongoing struggle between heritage and commercialisation.