After the Supreme Court's deadline for installing Marathi nameplates expired, MNS workers are protesting against English nameplates across the state. Meanwhile, MNS Pune city president Sainath Babar led a protest against English nameplates on hotels and shops on Jangli Maharaj Road today. During the protest, stones were thrown at shops, and boards were vandalized.
MNS city president Sainath Babar stated that for several years, MNS has been protesting against the use of English nameplates on shops and hotels, following the directives of MNS president Raj Thackeray. The court has also acknowledged our stance. Today, we protested after the Supreme Court's deadline for installing Marathi nameplates on shops and hotels in the state expired. This marks the initiation of the protests, with a warning that more intense demonstrations may follow in the future. Meanwhile, the protesters have been detained by the police.
Meanwhile, in Mumbai MNS workers vandalised a CCD outlet board in the Trombay area. In response to this incident, the Trombay police have filed a case against MNS workers. The MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) had urged shops to display Marathi language name boards. However, the MNS has adopted an aggressive stance against shopkeepers who did not heed the appeal. Trombay police have registered a case against five to seven activists for allegedly throwing a paver block at a Café Coffee Day (CCD) outlet in Trombay because it did not have a nameplate in Marathi.
BMC takes action against 161 establishments
On Wednesday, the municipal authorities in Mumbai initiated legal proceedings against 161 shops and establishments for failing to comply with the Supreme Court directive and Maharashtra legislation by not prominently displaying their signboards in Marathi (Devanagari) script.
According to a statement from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), teams of civic officers from the Shops and Establishments Department conducted inspections of 3,575 shops and establishments throughout the metropolis. They identified 161 shops and establishments whose signboards were found to be in violation of the Supreme Court directive and regulations regarding Marathi signage.
On the first day of the drive on Tuesday, the BMC teams had inspected 3,269 shops and establishments, and took action against 176 of them for the violations. In two days starting Tuesday, the civic administration inspected a total of 6,844 shops and took action against 337 establishments for violating the signboard rule. The civic body has constituted teams of facilitators in all the 24 civic wards and they have been given powers to take legal action against the violators.
As per Rule 35 and Section 36C of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of employment and conditions of service) Rules, 2018, and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Act, 2022, respectively, the signboards of establishments must be in Marathi Devanagari script in bold letters, the BMC has said. The Supreme Court had previously set a two-month deadline, concluding on November 25, for shopkeepers to install Marathi signboards. In addition to taking legal action against the offenders, civic authorities have indicated that a daily penalty of Rs 2,000 may be imposed on shopkeepers and establishments that persistently violate this rule.