Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has strongly condemned the recent assault on a shopkeeper in Thane by members of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), calling the incident a case of "hooliganism in the name of language" and promising strict legal action.
Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Fadnavis sent out a firm message, “It is not wrong to be proud of the Marathi language in Maharashtra. But if someone indulges in hooliganism due to language, we will not tolerate it. If someone beats up people on the basis of language, this will not be tolerated.”
‘Surprised that these people embrace English’
Fadnavis confirmed that the police had filed an FIR and taken action, and warned of strict consequences if such incidents recur.
“We are proud of our Marathi, but injustice cannot be done to any language of India in this manner; we will have to keep this in mind. And sometimes I am surprised that these people embrace English and create disputes over Hindi. What kind of thinking is this and what kind of action is this? Therefore, strict action will be taken against those who take the law into their own hands,” the Chief Minister added.
What had transpired?
The incident came to light after a video went viral on July 1, showing MNS workers confronting and attacking a sweet shop owner for allegedly refusing to speak in Marathi. The disturbing footage shows three men entering the store and questioning the shopkeeper about his language preferences.
When asked why he wasn’t speaking Marathi, the shopkeeper calmly replied, “I didn’t know Marathi was compulsory. Someone will have to teach me.” One of the men then warned him, “Maar khayega?” (Do you want to get beaten?), which was followed by a violent assault.
The attackers slapped the shopkeeper multiple times, hurled abuse, and threatened to shut down his business. When the shopkeeper responded that all languages are spoken in Maharashtra, the comment appeared to enrage the men further.
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