A shocking incident in Mira Road, near Mumbai, has triggered public anger after a sweet shop owner was allegedly assaulted for not speaking in Marathi. As per media reports, seven unidentified men, believed to be associated with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), have been booked by the Kashimira police. The FIR states that the incident occurred around 10:30 am on Tuesday morning.
Babulal Khimji Chaudhary, a 48-year-old sweet shop owner, said that a group of men wearing MNS symbols on their clothes entered his shop and asked for water. When a staff member responded in Hindi, the men allegedly became aggressive, hurling abuses and threats for not using Marathi. Chaudhary added that the situation worsened when he tried to explain that many of his workers were from other states and did not speak Marathi fluently.
Assault Caught on Camera:
Chaudhary said that two of the men came up to him and told him he must speak Marathi if he wanted to work in Maharashtra. When he tried to explain his side, they allegedly began beating him. “They even made a video of the attack and shared it on social media,” he said. When asked what language is spoken in Maharashtra, Chaudhary said he replied, “All languages are spoken in Maharashtra.” According to him, this response made the attackers even more furious.
According to a media report, MNS Responds: An office-bearer of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) admitted there was a dispute over the language issue but alleged that the shop owner was “arrogant.” He stated that party workers were nearby, celebrating the state government’s rollback of the three-language policy resolution, and had gone to the shop to buy water when the incident occurred.
“The owner said all languages are spoken in Maharashtra, and that led to some heated words,” the office-bearer claimed. The bigger picture The incident comes amid ongoing political discussions around language use in Maharashtra.
The state recently withdrew its decision to implement the three-language policy in schools after facing strong opposition from political parties and the public. Meanwhile, police are investigating the assault case, and the video footage of the incident is being used as key evidence. As of now, no arrests have been made.
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