Mumbai, Maharashtra (July 3, 2025): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray has responded to a viral video involving party leader and former MP Rajan Vichare. Thackeray said the incident was not related to regional identity and urged the public not to view it as a Marathi versus non-Marathi issue. "Regarding the viral video involving Rajan Vichare ji, I called and spoke to him. He clarified that the dispute was not between Marathi and non-Marathi individuals. It started when an office-bearer was not allowed to charge his phone, which led to an argument and eventually a physical altercation. It's important to note that this issue is not about anyone’s regional identity," he said as quoted by PTI.
His remarks come after a video shot inside Vichare’s office in Thane went viral. The video shows a group of men apologising, folding their hands, touching the feet of a man, and then being slapped. They are asked to admit their mistake and promise not to repeat it. At one point, a voice in the video is heard telling one of the men to speak in Marathi.
According to media reports, the incident took place on July 1 inside a mobile shop at Thane station. Kiran Tanaji Sawant, a 43-year-old customer, got angry due to a delay while trying to recharge his phone. An argument followed and Sawant suffered minor injuries during the scuffle. He later filed a police complaint. Four staff members were detained and later released. While the matter began as a local dispute, it quickly gained political attention after the video from Vichare’s office went viral.
The controversy comes just days after MNS workers allegedly assaulted a shopkeeper in Mumbai’s Mira Road for not speaking Marathi. That incident triggered protests and a market shutdown in the area.
Read Also | Mumbai: MNS Workers Beat Sweet Shop Owner in Mira Road For Not Speaking in Marathi (Watch)