In Palghar, Maharashtra, an autorickshaw driver was publicly beaten for refusing to speak Marathi by the supporters of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) and his cousin Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. A video of the migrant autorickshaw driver arguing with Bhavesh Padolia, another migrant from Uttar Pradesh, at the Virar station, went viral. When asked why he wasn't speaking Marathi, he stated in the video that he would only speak Hindi. When Padolia questioned the driver about why he didn't speak Marathi in public, he replied that he preferred speaking Hindi and Bhojpuri.
In light of this incident, the autorickshaw driver was spotted by Shiv Sena UBT and MNS supporters close to the railway station. The driver was repeatedly slapped by those men in the footage of the altercation, which went viral on social media. He was made to chant Marathi slogans and offer an apology.
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Later, Uday Jadhav, the city chief of Shiv Sena (UBT) Virar, who was on the scene, defended the action by claiming that the driver received a suitable answer in "true Shiv Sena style." "Anyone who dares to disparage Maharashtra, the Marathi language, or the Marathi people will receive a response in the true Shiv Sena style. We will not sit silent," Jadhav said, reported PTI.
The assault was public, but the Palghar district police have not yet filed a formal complaint. According to Indian news agency PTI, the police stated, "We have seen the viral video and are verifying the facts, but as of now, no complaint has been received from either party."