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Scroll.in
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Mumbai: MNS workers assault shopkeeper over post they claim insulted Marathi
Workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena assaulted a shopkeeper in Mumbai's Vikhroli on Wednesday for sharing a social media post that they claimed insulted the Marathi community and language, reported The Indian Express. In a video of the assault that was widely circulated online, workers of the Raj Thackeray-led party, including office-bearer Vishwajeet Dholam, could be seen physically assaulting the shopkeeper, forcing him to apologise and parading him through the area. The party workers also told residents of the area to boycott shops owned by those who ' disrespect Marathi people ', according to Hindustan Times. While speaking to reporters later, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Avinash Yadav defended the workers' actions. 'If someone comes to Maharashtra, earns a livelihood here, and then disrespects the Marathi language, Marathi people will naturally respond,' The Indian Express quoted Yadav as saying. No police complaint has been filed in the matter yet. Dukandar par akramak MNS #mumbai #vikhroli #maanse #mns #maharastra #marathi #gujrati #mumbainews #news #newsupdate #viral #viralvideo — MUMBAI TV (@tv_mumbai) July 17, 2025 The incident comes days after an auto rickshaw driver was assaulted by a group of persons believed to be members of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) in Maharashtra's Palghar district for making 'anti-Marathi' remarks. On July 5, suspected workers of the MNS had vandalised the Mumbai office of entrepreneur Sushil Kedia, a day after he posted on social media that he had lived in the city for 30 years without learning Marathi 'properly'. On the same day, Raj Thackeray told his supporters that people living in Maharashtra should know Marathi, but there was no need to beat someone if they do not speak the language. On June 29, seven unidentified persons, also believed to be members of the MNS, had assaulted a shopkeeper in Thane district for not speaking in Marathi. The incidents took place amid an escalating row in Maharashtra, triggered by the state government's move to make Hindi a 'generally' taught third language for Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools.
India Today
17-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Kid can't compete without English: Jagan Reddy enters language debate
7:15 Raj Thackerey's MNS workers in Mumbai were once again caught assaulting a shopkeeper over alleged anti-Marathi remarks. In a viral video, MNS leader Vishwajeet Dholam and others confronted Premsingh Devda, a shopkeeper from Rajasthan, at his medical store in Vikhroli, forcing him to publicly apologise for a WhatsApp status deemed offensive to Marathi sentiments.
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
MNS workers assault Mumbai shopkeeper for WhatsApp status ‘insulting' Marathi language
A group of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers Wednesday allegedly assaulted a shopkeeper in Mumbai's Vikhroli area for posting a WhatsApp status that they claimed insulted the Marathi community and language. A video of the incident went viral on social media Thursday and sparked outrage. According to sources, the shopkeeper, who hails from the Marwari community, had put up a status that some MNS workers interpreted as offensive towards Marathi-speaking people. The workers allegedly went to his shop, questioned him about the post, and beat him up after being dissatisfied with his response. Video of the incident circulating on social media shows MNS functionaries, including party office-bearer Vishwajeet Dholam, confronting the man and later parading him through the locality. The party workers have claimed that the man made 'disrespectful remarks' about Marathi people through his status. Speaking to the media, MNS leader Avinash Jadhav said, 'We do not want to show our strength. But if someone comes to Maharashtra, earns their livelihood here, and then insults the Marathi language, the Marathi person will definitely react.' No police complaint has been filed so far. This was not the first instance when MNS workers allegedly targeted a man over the Marathi language. On June 29, a shopowner was allegedly assaulted by a group of MNS workers in Mumbai's Mira Road. Baboolal Khimaji Choudhary, a resident of Bhayander (East), told the police that seven unidentified men entered his shop and claimed that a proposal had been passed in the Maharashtra Assembly requiring all businesses to hire Marathi-speaking staff and operate in Marathi. He claimed that when he responded that all languages are spoken in the state, they became aggressive and started assaulting him. The incident sparked nationwide outrage among non-Marathi speakers, as well as MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, who protested in the area. The police registered an FIR against seven people on the complaint of the shop owner.
India Today
17-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Raj Thackeray party workers force man to apologise over anti-Marathi status
Raj Thackrey's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers were again found assaulting a shopkeeper in Mumbai for his alleged anti-Marathi a video, the MNS leader Vishwajeet Dholam, along with other officials, was seen abusing a shopkeeper from Rajasthan, and forcing him to apologise for posting an anti-Marathi status on his WhatsApp shopkeeper Premsingh Devda, who works at Lucky Medical Shop in Vikhroli market, was confronted at his shop and forced him to apologise In the video, the Marwadi man is seen apologising to the MNS workers with joined hands. One of the party leaders is seen abusing the man and forcing him to apologise. The workers also showed the screenshot of the status that sparked the was confronted after he posted a social media status containing objectionable language about Marathi and Maharashtra. He was called out of the shop and was compelled to issue an apology for the remarks made in his shopkeeper was then escorted to the local police station, where he was again asked to apologise for his comes amid the rising cases of MNS workers assaulting non-Marathi-speaking people in the state and forcing them to learn and speak the language. Yesterday, several MNS workers were detained by the police for creating a ruckus at a private bank in Nagpur. They had gathered outside the bank branch and also had a verbal spat with bank officials for seeking Hindi translation of an FIR registered in Marathi for the purpose of settling an accident Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane called for Marathi to be taught in madrasas instead of Urdu, and urged the opposition to ask Muslims to give azaan (Islamic call to prayer) in the more such cases of MNS workers thrashing, beating and abusing non-Marathi-speaking people were reported in last few days in Maharashtra, mostly in Mumbai. The love for Marathi also brought estranged brothers Raj Thackarey and Uddhav Thackarey together after almost two decades. The two leaders shared a stage on July 5 to celebrate the Maharashtra government's rollback of Hindi as an optional third language. The joint victory gathering, where the two estranged cousins reunited, was titled 'Awaj Marathicha'.- Ends
