'Speak Marathi Or Leave': Mumbai Woman Confronted As Language War Escalates
A video of the altercation showed the woman, identified as Sanjira Devi, standing outside her home when a group of men blocked the passage near her house.
A woman in Ghatkopar was allegedly confronted by a group of men for not speaking in Marathi, in another incident highlighting language-related tensions in the city.
A video of the altercation showed the woman, identified as Sanjira Devi, standing outside her home when a group of men blocked the passage near her house.
When she asked them to make way, they allegedly demanded that she speak in Marathi. She refused, which led to a verbal exchange.
'Speak in Marathi. This is Maharashtra," one of the men is heard saying in the video, pointing his finger at her. The woman responded, 'No, you talk in Hindi. Tell me, aren't you a Hindustani? Aren't you from Hindustan?"
Woman confronted In Ghatkopar, Mumbai by group of people for speaking Marathi #MarathiNews #marathilanguage #MarathiHindiControversy #Hindi #hindilanguage #languagedebate #mumbai #ghatkopar #viralvideo pic.twitter.com/G1CUi3sYWW — Manchh (@Manchh_Official) July 21, 2025
The confrontation drew a small crowd, and police were called. However, the group had dispersed by the time officers arrived at the scene.
This comes amid a renewed focus on the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) long-standing campaign promoting the use of Marathi in public spaces.
In recent weeks, similar incidents have been reported in Mumbai, including an alleged assault on a shopkeeper and vandalism at the office of investor Sushil Kedia after he reportedly said he would not speak Marathi.
These developments coincide with criticism from some quarters over the alleged imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra under the three-language policy of the National Education Policy (NEP).
On July 5, MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray held a joint rally after two decades, signalling a rare moment of unity.
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July 21, 2025, 13:13 IST
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