Mumbai, Maharashtra (April 1, 2025): A private security guard in Mumbai’s Powai area was assaulted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party workers after refusing to speak in Marathi. The situation escalated when the guard allegedly insulted the Marathi language by saying, “Marathi gaya tel lagane.” Angered by the remark, the MNS workers allegedly beat the guard and demanded an apology. In a video of the incident, the guard is seen apologising with folded hands. The video shows a tense exchange between the MNS workers and the security guard. One of the workers asked, "Why are you not speaking in Marathi?" The guard replied, "I don’t know Marathi. Why should I speak it?" The worker said, "You need to learn Marathi," and the guard responded, "Why is it necessary?" The MNS worker asked, "You think Marathi is not important?" The guard then said, "Marathi gaya tel lagane. Don’t tell me what to do."
This incident follows a series of similar disputes. In March, MNS workers assaulted a D-Mart employee in Versova after an argument over the use of Marathi. The argument turned violent when the employee reportedly said, “I will not speak in Marathi. I will speak only in Hindi. Do what you want to do.”
Another incident was reported at a D-Mart store in Pune’s Wagholi area, where a video of a dispute between two customers went viral. A man in a checkout queue refused to speak Marathi when asked and insisted that he would speak only in Hindi. When questioned again, he repeated, “Nahi bolte” (I won’t speak). The argument escalated, and other shoppers stepped in to defuse the situation. A similar controversy was recorded at a telecom service provider’s customer service center in Mumbai. A video showed a woman employee refusing to speak Marathi when a customer requested it. She was heard saying, “Why should I speak Marathi? Where is it written? We live in India.”
Read Also | ‘Hindi Hi Bolenge’: Man Refuses to Speak Marathi at D-Mart in Pune; Video Goes Viral
In recent years, concerns over discrimination against Marathi speakers in Mumbai have been raised. Before the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the issue of Marathi versus Gujarati had already surfaced in Ghatkopar. There were allegations that Marathi candidates were prevented from campaigning in Gujarati-dominated societies. A company in Andheri issued a job advertisement stating that Marathi candidates would not be considered. A similar controversy erupted in Girgaum. In Mulund, a Marathi woman was reportedly denied housing in a society. In Kalyan, a non-local government employee allegedly assaulted a Marathi family. Political parties like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the Shiv Sena had strongly opposed these incidents