Mumbai: Violence Erupts in Goregaon After Marathi-Speaking Customer is Abused; MNS Workers Vandalize Office

Tensions flared in Mumbai’s Goregaon area after employee of a financial company abused and threatened a Marathi-speaking customer at the office, despite the customer having repaid his loan. According to a News18 report, later  Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) Goregaon assembly chief Virendra Jadhav and his supporters gathered at the office  and protested the incident. They also vandalised the office, and as the clash escalated, the employees of the firm allegedly used foul language against MNS chief Raj Thackeray.This led to further outrage among MNS workers and office bearers, who disrupted the company’s operations.

Later, Virendra Jadhav stated that the MNS will continue its protest until an action is taken against those who abused the Marathi customer and Raj Thackeray. The incident has taken place against the backdrop of an intensifying language debate in Maharashtra. The state government’s April and June 2025 resolutions mandating Hindi as a compulsory third language from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English medium schools sparked protests. Teachers, political groups, and civil society organisations accused the government of attempting to impose Hindi at the cost of Marathi and regional linguistic identity. Just a few days earlier, on July 23, a 20-year-old student was allegedly attacked with a hockey stick in Navi Mumbai’s Vashi area after asking someone to speak in Marathi. The accused, along with three others, reportedly beat the student outside a college, prompting the victim to file a complaint.Police registered a case under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including those related to causing harm with dangerous weapons, criminal intimidation, and provocation leading to a breach of peace.