MNS Workers Slap Shopkeeper For Not Speaking In Marathi
A clash over language in Maharashtra sparked violence, trader protests, and political tension after MNS workers assaulted a shopkeeper for speaking Hindi.
Recently, the Maharashtra government decided to make Hindi a compulsory third language in all schools across the state. However, this move was met with strong opposition from parties like Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and NCP (SP). They accused the government of trying to force Hindi on Marathi-speaking students. After facing pressure from these parties and the public, the government rolled back the decision.
Soon after, a serious incident took place at Jodhpur Sweets, a popular shop in Mira Road. A group of MNS workers entered the shop and confronted the staff for speaking in Hindi instead of Marathi. The situation turned violent, and the workers physically assaulted the shopkeeper. A video of the incident went viral on social media and caused widespread outrage among traders and citizens.
The shop’s owner, Babulal Khimaji Choudhary, said that the MNS workers demanded he must know Marathi if he wanted to run a business in Maharashtra, and then thrashed him. The conflict began when the workers asked him about using Marathi, and the owner jokingly replied that he didn’t know Marathi was compulsory. This angered the group even more.
Following the assault, the local trading community observed a complete shutdown on 3rd July. The protest was led by Vyapaari Ekta Manch, which demanded strict action against such language-based violence. They called this act "language-based hooliganism" and asked the government to ensure safety for all traders.
The police have filed an FIR against seven MNS members, and their statements will be recorded. It is still unclear whether they will be taken into custody after that.
Meanwhile, MNS defended the actions of its workers, saying they were celebrating the government’s decision to cancel the Hindi language rule. When they visited the shop and were spoken to in Hindi, they felt insulted. They claimed the shopkeeper's response that “all languages are spoken in Maharashtra” made them angry.
In another similar case, Rajan Vichare from Shiv Sena (UBT) allegedly called traders to his office in Thane, where they were beaten by his supporters and forced to apologise for not using Marathi.
When asked about the matter, Aditya Thackeray told the media that he had spoken to Rajan Vichare, who denied that it was a Marathi vs non-Marathi issue. He claimed the argument started over a party worker not being allowed to charge his phone. Aditya condemned the attack in Mira Road, saying that no language should be forced, and no one should insult Marathi or take the law into their own hands. He warned that things can go out of control if Marathi or Maharashtra is disrespected.
This series of incidents has once again started a debate in Maharashtra over language, identity, and respect for regional culture.
