"Speak In Marathi": Fight Over Seat In Mumbai Local Turns Into Language Row
A seemingly small fight over a seat in a Mumbai local train escalated into a full-blown language row earlier this week, with one woman telling the other to learn Marathi or "get out". The incident took place on Friday evening in a crowded ladies' coach of the train running on the Central line.
A video of the incident went viral on social media, in which six to seven women can be seen arguing over a seat - something that is not strange to a Mumbai local.
However, during this time, one woman criticised another passenger for not speaking in Marathi. "If you want to stay in our Mumbai, speak Marathi, otherwise get out," she told her.
Soon after, other women in the train also joined the debate.
According to officials, the Railway Protection Force and the Government Railway Police are investigating the incident.
This comes amid the ongoing language row in Maharashtra, with Raj Thackeray's MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) party workers being criticised for their continuous targeting and confrontation of people not speaking in Marathi.
Earlier this week, a shopkeeper in Mumbai's Vikhroli was assaulted by MNS workers over a WhatsApp status deemed offensive to the Marathi-speaking community. The video shows the shopkeeper being forced to apologise publicly while being threatened and physically attacked.
On July 1, MNS workers in Thane slapped a street food vendor for refusing to converse in Marathi. In another incident, a migrant auto-rickshaw driver in Maharashtra's Palghar district was assaulted in full public view by MNS and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters.
MNS workers also vandalised businessman Sushil Kedia's office in Mumbai, days after he vowed not to learn Marathi. The incident was captured on camera, in which five to six supporters of Raj Thackeray can be seen throwing what looked like bricks at the office. A security personnel rushed in to stop the attack, but they only stopped after emptying the bags. The businessman later issued an apology.
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