72 Hours After MNS Workers Slap Mumbai Shopkeeper, Cops To Question Accused
Over 72 hours after a Mumbai shopkeeper was assaulted for not speaking in Marathi - his ordeal filmed and circulated online by the assailants - and over 24 hours after the FIR was filed, the police will finally record the statements of the accused, sources told NDTV Thursday morning.
The seven men - members of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which has refused to apologise for the assault - will be deposed at the Deputy Commissioner of Police's office.
It is unclear if they will be taken into custody after their statements are recorded.
Action against the accused - the first concrete step in what has been dubbed the 'MNS slapgate' case - comes after sustained pressure by NDTV, and demands for justice for 48-year-old Babulal Khimji Chaudhary, the owner of the 'Jodhpur Sweet Shop' in Mumbai's Mira Road suburb.
The video of the awful assault, which took place past 10.30 pm Sunday and has been widely shared online - showed the MNS goons surrounding Chaudhary and threatening him with worse action, including forcibly shutting down his business, if his staff and he don't speak in Marathi.
Bagharam, a migrant worker from Rajasthan, spoke to NDTV after the assault. He said the MNS thugs wanted to buy bottles of water but when he spoke to them in Hindi, they demanded he speak in Marathi. "I said we speak all languages, so they threatened to beat me up..."
The thugs then accosted Chaudhary and attacked him.
READ | "Said Have To Speak In Marathi": Man Threatened By Raj Thackeray Party Workers
As horrific as the assault was, the matter was compounded after the MNS - ironically leading a protest against the 'imposition of Hindi' in the state - refused to apologise to Chaudhary.
The party accused Chaudhary of being 'arrogant'. It said he had provoked his attackers by stating that all languages are spoken in Maharashtra, a statement that is correct.
Experts have pointed out every Indian has the right to speak the language of their choice, a right primarily protected by Article 19 of the Constitution, which esures freedom of speech and expression.
The party has also complained because seven men were named in the FIR names, while the video shows only three hitting Chaudhary.
Meanwhile, Babulal Chaudhary, whose business has been flourishing on Mira Road for the past two decades, told NDTV he would fight to ensure the MNS goons are held to account. "Mumbai is my 'karmabhoomi'... but now I am living in fear. I want safety, I want to feel safe," he said.
Chaudhary - who intends to hold a protest march despite an ominous 'warning' from the MNS - has been backed by fellow traders, many of whom shut shops for the day to signal their support.
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