A shop worker in Thane has alleged that he was threatened by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers for not speaking in Marathi. The incident occurred on Sunday night at ‘Jodhpur Sweets’, where the shop owner was also assaulted by members of Raj Thackeray’s party.
Bagharam, a worker at the sweet shop and a resident of Rajasthan’s Pali, told that the MNS workers entered the shop during a rally and asked for water. After being served, they questioned him about his residence. “I said, in Maharashtra. They then told me, ‘If you live in Maharashtra, you must speak Marathi’,” Bagharam said.
When he replied that they speak all languages, the men threatened to beat him up and vandalize the shop. They then moved towards the shop owner and began arguing. According to Bagharam, while the MNS members had visited the shop before for tea and snacks, this was the first time they reacted violently.
“I have been living in Mumbai for 15 years and have worked with many Marathi people. We also speak in Marathi whenever needed. This is the first time I’ve encountered something like this,” he said.
A video capturing the incident has gone viral, in which MNS workers are seen slapping the shopkeeper. In the footage, one of the attackers is heard saying, “You asked why you should speak in Marathi. What does that mean? When you were in trouble, you came to the MNS office.” The shopkeeper responded that he didn’t know Marathi was mandatory, prompting further slaps and verbal abuse.
When the shopkeeper said they would need to teach him Marathi, one of the men replied aggressively, “Yeah, say that then. What do you mean why should you learn Marathi? This is Maharashtra. Which language is spoken in Maharashtra?” When he answered “all languages,” he was slapped again.
FIR has been lodged against seven members of the MNS for their involvement in the assault.
The incident comes at a time when the MNS has been pushing for the mandatory use of Marathi in commercial establishments and banks across Maharashtra. The party has also opposed the implementation of the National Education Policy’s three-language formula in state schools.