Mumbai: Days after they slapped an employee of a departmental store and made him do sit-ups for refusing to speak Marathi, workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) assaulted a security guard of a building in Powai, Mumbai, for not knowing the language. A political row has broken out after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
In the video, MNS workers are seen slapping and abusing the private security guard. Some others standing around are seen attempting to resolve the issue. Finally, the security guard is seen apologising with folded hands.
While it is not known what exactly led to the spat, NDTV Marathi claims that the security guard later said that he is from north India and is yet to learn Marathi.
The video has sparked outrage, not only among political leaders from other states, but Maharashtra itself. Rajesh Verma, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) MP from Khagaria in Bihar has hit out at the MNS for targeting non-Marathi speakers to show its political might.
“Hindi speakers work hard. They deserve respect and not insults and violence,” Verma said.
Hussain Dalwai, former Congress MP from Maharashtra has also reacted strongly. “If the MNS is powerful enough, let them target those in Bollywood who have not learnt Marathi even after staying in the state for years. What purpose will it serve to beat up poor people who are here to do work that locals cannot do? Such acts speak volumes about the law-and-order situation in the state,” he remarked.
Incidentally, the Raj Thackeray-led MNS – that has promoted itself as a pro-Marathi and pro-Maharashtra party – does not have a single MLA in the state Assembly. Records reveal that the party managed to garner just 1.57% of the votes in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. The party, formed in 2008, has also never had an MP.
The party reacted to criticism of the violence committed by its workers by saying that it simply wants people to respect the Marathi language.
“Marathi is the language of Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra. The Union government recently gave it classical language status. But some people deliberately disrespect and humiliate the language. While teaching such elements a lesson, violence does take place. But it is not intentional. Give Marathi due respect, and we have no issues whether the people concerned are from Bihar or Karnataka,” MNS spokesperson Vageesh Saraswat said.
