The ongoing row over language policy in Maharashtra between political parties reached Mira Road after a sweet shop owner was allegedly thrashed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers for refusing to speak in Marathi. The video of the incident went viral, in which three to four MNS activists were arguing and slapping a man at a shop in a Mumbai suburb.
The incident took place near a hotel named Balaji, where MNS workers, including Mira Bhayandar Deputy Mayor Karan Kandangire, allegedly slapped the owner of a sweet shop named Jodhpur Sweets after he reportedly responded in Hindi, according to the ABP Live report.
MNS Workers Beat Shop Owner in Mira Road
The Raj Thackeray-led party workers reportedly stopped by the shop to drink water. While communicating with the sweet shop owner, they asked him to speak in Marathi, not Hindi. Upon his argument, a heated exchange took place between the MNS workers and the shopkeeper. Following this, they allegedly assaulted the owner for disrespecting the local language and state culture.
The video went viral during tensions over the language row triggered by the Maharashtra government, led by the BJP, imposing Hindi in state schools in addition to Marathi and English. This triggered protests by the opposition, including MNS and Shiv Sena UBT.
Seeing widespread protests by regional parties, ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the cancellation of two government resolutions (GRs) related to the compulsory use of the Hindi language in schools from standard one. This move was seen as a victory sign for the Marathi-speaking parties, including Shiv Sena UBT. After the announcement, UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray announced a victory rally in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Kashimra Police registered an FIR against the MNS workers involved in assaulting the sweet shop owner in Mira Road. Under multiple sections of the IPC, as per ABP Live.