A shopkeeper in Mira Road was assaulted by workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Saturday evening after he allegedly refused to speak in Marathi – an incident that was caught on camera and has since gone viral.
The video shows three men entering a sweets shop and confronting the owner over his language. When questioned about not using Marathi, the shopkeeper tried to explain, saying, “I didn’t know Marathi was compulsory. Someone will have to teach me.” One of the men warned him, “Maar khayega?” (Do you want to get beaten?), before the conversation escalated.
The workers then demanded to know what state he was working in. “Maharashtra,” the shopkeeper replied. “What language is spoken in Maharashtra?” one of the workers asked. “All languages are spoken here,” the shopkeeper responded – a remark that appeared to provoke the attackers.
Within seconds, two men began slapping him – one of them striking him multiple times, including with the back of his hand, as the shopkeeper struggled to respond. Another man could be heard hurling abuse and warning him he wouldn’t be allowed to run a business in the area.
The Kashimira Police registered an FIR against seven MNS workers under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of spreading unrest. An investigation is underway.
Santosh Rane, the MNS’s Mira-Bhayander district president, defended the action, saying, “If anyone insults the Marathi language, MNS will respond in this manner. In Maharashtra, only Marathi is allowed, and you will have to follow Marathi culture, even if you’re Gujarati or Marwari.”
Rane claimed the confrontation began when the shopkeeper misbehaved with MNS workers who were celebrating the Maharashtra government’s decision to withdraw its earlier resolutions on implementing the three-language policy in schools.
The Raj Thackeray-led MNS has been at the forefront of opposing the three-language formula. The party had even planned a major protest in Mumbai on Saturday against the policy, which mandates the teaching of Hindi, English, and Marathi in Maharashtra’s schools.
Following the backlash, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state had withdrawn two earlier resolutions on the policy and would form a new committee to reassess the matter.
“We have decided that a committee will be formed under the leadership of educationist Narendra Jadhav to determine from which standard the languages should be implemented, how the implementation should take place, and what choices should be given to students. Based on the report submitted by this committee, the state government will make a final decision on the implementation of the three-language policy,” Fadnavis said.
– Ends