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Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Overreacted': What Maha investor said in apology over ‘won't learn Marathi' remark after office vandalised
Maharashtra businessman Sushil Kedia, whose office in Worli was vandalised by workers of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), said he was withdrawing from his 'overreaction', the comments he made on the party chief amid reports of common citizens of the state getting targeted over a lack of proficiency in the Marathi language. Mumbai Police deployed security outside Sushil Kedia's Worli office after MNS party workers attacked the premises in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, July 5. (Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) Five workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were arrested on Saturday in connection with the vandalism at Sushil Kedia's office in Worli. A case was registered against them under Sections 223, 189(2), 189(3), 190, 191(2), 191(3), and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. What happened Office of Sushil Kedia, a prominent investor, was vandalised by MNS workers a day after he had challenged Raj Thackeray in a post on social media platform X and said that he will not learn Marathi as a protest against 'gross misconduct' of the MNS chief. 'I don't know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai & with your gross misconduct I have made it a resolve that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus I take pratigya I won't learn Marathi. Kya karna hai bol?' Kedia had posted on X. MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande responded, advising Kedia to focus on his business. 'Do business if you're a businessman; don't try to act like our father. If you insult Marathi in Maharashtra, you'll get a slap on the ear, otherwise, stay in your lane, Mehta or whoever. That's all for now.' Deshpande posted on X. After Deshpande's post, Kedia approached police, claiming he was getting threats for his social media post. 'We contacted Kedia after he tagged Mumbai Police in his post,' a police official said. On Friday, Kedia posted another message on X. 'Shri @RajThackeray threatening me by 100s of your workers is not going to make me a fluent Marathi speaker. If I am not confident of the quality of Marathi I can speak, with so much threatening around even more fear happens that if I miss speaking any word(s) improperly more violence will happen. Get the point. Love, not threat makes people get assimilated together,' his post read. 'Please note @CPMumbaiPolice @Dev_Fadnavis open threats of violence are being issued by @RajThackeray workers. Provide me safety. Is an Indian having any rights to dignity & safety in Maharashtra today is a question even our @HMOIndia @AmitShah ji might ponder on as well,' Kedia said on X. Kedia's post came after a sweet mart owner was assaulted by seven MNS workers in Mira Road near Mumbai recently for not speaking in Marathi. Kedia withdraws comments on Raj Thackeray On Saturday, Kedia stated that he made these comments in haste and has now realised his mistake. Stressing that his comments have been taken out of context by some sections, Kedia said, 'My tweet [X post] happened in a wrong state of mind under stress. And further, now it is getting manipulated and misinterpreted to suit the interests of people who want to gain from any controversy.' Kedia said that he made those comments after common citizens of Maharashtra were getting targeted over a lack of proficiency in Marathi. "Having come under pressure mentally from the violence inflicted on those who do not know Marathi, I ended up overreacting. I realised I must take back my overreactions and withdraw," he said. Praising MNS chief Raj Thackeray for raising "strong issues" that matter to the Hindus, Thackeray said, "Whether it was the Hanuman Chalisa campaign in recent memories or always, the championing of Hindutva and Rashtravad that he has done, he has always been a hero. But this time, when our own have been loggerheads with each other, my mind went haywire under stress." Sushil Kedia added that citizens here in Maharashtra will be inclined to learn the Marathi language if encouraged in the right manner. "I have realised my mistake, and I wish to correct it unequivocally. The concerned people may also hopefully consider someday soon that instead of frightening people if you provide us encouragement, it will help us overcome our hesitations in achieving fluency in the Marathi language more rapidly, as we will be fearlessly using it more and more. Of course, the tweet that I made out of haste, out of the stress," Kedia said while admitting that he clearly "overreacted" in his previous post. (With ANI inputs)
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bizman who defied Raj on Marathi backtracks after MNS attacks office
MUMBAI: A day after declaring that he did not know Marathi despite living in Mumbai for three decades and would not learn the language, entrepreneur and investment analyst Sushil Kedia apologised for his remarks, which he termed as an 'overreaction'. Saying that he had realised his mistake and withdrawn his comments, he went on to shower praise on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray. Kedia's apology was tendered soon after MNS workers tried to vandalise his Worli office on Saturday morning. Sushil Kedia (X / @sushilkedia) In a video that went viral on social media, a few MNS workers, sporting scarves with the party name and symbol, could be seen gathered outside Kedia's office and trying to smash the glass door with coconuts. A security guard made unsuccessful attempts to stop them, and after a few moments, a person who was inside the office brought down the shutters to prevent further damage. 'We registered an offence and arrested five MNS workers,' said an official from Worli police station. Soon after, Kedia posted a four-minute video statement on X. 'My tweet happened in the wrong state of mind under duress and stress and now it is being manipulated to serve the interest of those who are looking to gain from this (language) controversy,' he said. 'Having come under pressure over the violence inflicted on those who do not know Marathi, I ended up overreacting. I realised that I must take back my over-reactions and withdraw…' (Sic) Kedia said that even after living for over 30 years in Mumbai, people like him could not hope to achieve the level of fluency of native Marathi persons, a fact that needed to be understood. 'I accept my mistake and hope that they will change the environment so that we can learn and accept the Marathi language with ease,' he said. On Friday, the entrepreneur had lanced a challenge at Raj in a social media post. 'Do note @RajThackeray, I don't know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai & with your gross misconduct I have made it a resolve that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus (Marathi people) I take pratigya (pledge) I won't learn Marathi. Kya karna hai bol? (What can you do?)' (Sic) Kedia's response was in retaliation to the June 29 attack on Babulal Khimaji Chaudhary (48), the owner of Jodhpur Sweet Mart in Mira Road. Chaudhary was slapped for not speaking in Marathi and particularly after he demanded to know what government rule required people to speak in Marathi. The incident reignited the debate on language that was triggered after the state government mandated Hindi as a third language in primary schools. On Monday, the government had to scrap the two government resolutions issued to this effect after a movement was launched opposing its move, which got support not only from political parties but also from civil society and litterateurs. After his initial defiant post, Kedia had sought protection from the police, claiming that he was being threatened by MNS workers. On Saturday, however, he did a complete turnaround and praised Raj Thackeray, saying that he had always had 'appreciation' for and 'gratitude' to the MNS chief. He hailed Raj for taking up 'strong issues', and added that he had the strength 'to stand up for issues concerning everyone'.
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Business Standard
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Investor apologises after MNS attack over remarks targeting Raj Thackeray
Five Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supporters were detained on Saturday for the attack on investor Sushil Kedia's office in Worli here over the latter's social media post about not learning Marathi and his "kya karna hai bol" dare to Raj Thackeray. Hours after the attack, Kedia apologised for the social post claiming he had overreacted and also professed admiration for Thackeray. Kedia said he had uploaded the post in a wrong state of mind under duress and stress and wished to correct it unequivocally after realising his mistake. "Having come under pressure mentally from the violence inflicted on those who do not know Marathi, I ended up over-reacting," Kedia said. "I realise I must take back my over-reactions and withdraw," he asserted. In his apology video, Kedia said, "Even after living for 30 years in Mumbai, the level of proficiency and fluency that a native Marathi born can have, we will not be able to achieve and for avoiding any embarrassments or confusions, one has been using Marathi language only in less than formal situations, with a casual atmosphere only before people very closely known to them." "It has not happened to me in the use of seven other Indian languages that I could learn over a period of time," Kedia added. Kedia said he has a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude towards Raj Thackeray for the strong issues he raises, the strength with which stands up in matters like the Hanuman Chalisa campaign (when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister), championing the cause of Hindutva and "rashtrawad" (nationalism). Kedia came into the crosshairs of the Raj Thackeray-led party on Friday. After some incidents of people getting thrashed over non-use of Marathi triggered by the controversy linked to the "imposition" of Hindi and three-language policy in state schools, Kedia had expressed his anger through a social media post targeting Thackeray. "I don't know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai & with your gross misconduct I have made it a resolve that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus I take pratigya I won't learn Marathi. Kya karna hai bol?" Kedia had posted on X. In response, MNS supporters, shouting slogans in support of Thackeray and Marathi, had thrown coconuts at the glass door entrance of Kedia's office this morning, with videos of the attack going viral on social media immediately. In the videos, security personnel posted at the site can be seen trying to thwart the attack in vain, while office staff attempted to down shutters to avoid getting hit by the coconuts. Five MNS supporters have been detained in connection with the attack and further probe into the incident is underway, a Worli police station official said. "They have been brought to the police station for questioning and further legal action," the official said. Incidentally, police had provided security to Kedia's office situated at Century Bazar after his post began generating a backlash from MNS supporters.
Hindustan Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Five detained for vandalising investor Sushil Kedia's Mumbai office amid Marathi row
Five persons were detained on Saturday for allegedly vandalising investor Sushil Kedia's office in Mumbai's Worli after his post challenging Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray over speaking Marathi. Some individuals had reached Sushil Kedia's office in the morning and thrown stones at his office, while raising slogans in support of Marathi and MNS chief Raj Thackeray. The individuals threw stones at Kedia's office while raising slogans in support of Marathi and MNS chief Raj Thackeray.(PTI) Kedia had earlier posted on X challenging Raj Thackeray over the Marathi row, saying he would not learn the language. 'I don't know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai, and with your gross misconduct, I have made it a resolution that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus I take pratigya, I won't learn Marathi. Kya karna hai bol?' Kedia had said in a post on X. However, hours after the incident, Kedia issued an apology for his statements, while saying that he had made them under 'pressure' and 'duress'. 'My tweet happened in the wrong state of mind under duress and stress and now it is being manipulated to serve the interest of those who are looking to gain from this controversy,"Kedia said. 'Having come under pressure mentally from the violence inflicted on those who do not know Marathi, I ended up overreacting,' he said in the video posted to X. While withdrawing the remarks, Kedia also praised Raj Thackeray, saying that he had always had 'appreciation' and 'gratitude' for the MNS chief. He hailed Thackeray for 'the strong issues he raises', saying that the MNS chief had the 'strength' to stand up for issues concerning everyone. Kedia said that he was an 'ardent follower' of Thackeray, but had 'overreacted' because 'our own people have been loggerheads with each other'. The investor had initially reacted to an incident in Thane's Bhayander, wherein a group of men wearing MNS scarves had beaten up a stall owner because he did not speak Marathi.
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Business Standard
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Investor apologises after office attack in Worli over Marathi row with MNS
Five Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supporters were detained on Saturday for the attack on investor Sushil Kedia's office in Worli here over the latter's social media post about not learning Marathi and his "kya karna hai bol" dare to Raj Thackeray. Hours after the attack, Kedia apologised for the social post claiming he had overreacted and also professed admiration for Thackeray. Kedia said he had uploaded the post in a wrong state of mind under duress and stress and wished to correct it unequivocally after realising his mistake. "Having come under pressure mentally from the violence inflicted on those who do not know Marathi, I ended up over-reacting," Kedia said. "I realise I must take back my over-reactions and withdraw," he asserted. In his apology video, Kedia said, "Even after living for 30 years in Mumbai, the level of proficiency and fluency that a native Marathi born can have, we will not be able to achieve and for avoiding any embarrassments or confusions, one has been using Marathi language only in less than formal situations, with a casual atmosphere only before people very closely known to them." "It has not happened to me in the use of seven other Indian languages that I could learn over a period of time," Kedia added. Kedia said he has a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude towards Raj Thackeray for the strong issues he raises, the strength with which stands up in matters like the Hanuman Chalisa campaign (when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister), championing the cause of Hindutva and "rashtrawad" (nationalism). Kedia came into the crosshairs of the Raj Thackeray-led party on Friday. After some incidents of people getting thrashed over non-use of Marathi triggered by the controversy linked to the "imposition" of Hindi and three-language policy in state schools, Kedia had expressed his anger through a social media post targeting Thackeray. "I don't know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai & with your gross misconduct I have made it a resolve that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus I take pratigya I won't learn Marathi. Kya karna hai bol?" Kedia had posted on X. In response, MNS supporters, shouting slogans in support of Thackeray and Marathi, had thrown coconuts at the glass door entrance of Kedia's office this morning, with videos of the attack going viral on social media immediately. In the videos, security personnel posted at the site can be seen trying to thwart the attack in vain, while office staff attempted to down shutters to avoid getting hit by the coconuts. Five MNS supporters have been detained in connection with the attack and further probe into the incident is underway, a Worli police station official said. "They have been brought to the police station for questioning and further legal action," the official said. Incidentally, police had provided security to Kedia's office situated at Century Bazar after his post began generating a backlash from MNS supporters.
