Controversial MNS Posters Spark Tensions in Navi Mumbai: 'Learn Marathi or Face Consequences'

The linguistic debate in Maharashtra continues days after the Maharashtra government withdrew two orders introducing Hindi as the third language.  Now the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has stirred controversy once again by putting up provocative posters across Navi Mumbai, issuing a stern warning to non-Marathi speakers. The posters demand that those living in Maharashtra must learn Marathi, or be prepared to face repercussions.The posters, displayed in various parts of Navi Mumbai, feature a cartoon depicting a threatening scenario directed at non-Marathis. A prominent message on the cartoon reads:“Aye ji, learn to speak Marathi or that MNS guy will come for you.”

Alongside the cartoon, the posters also carry an additional warning, “We have no fight with you, but if you try to mess around here, Maharashtra’s shock will surely hit you.”Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday sought to defend his party workers' who have been on an assault spree against those holding "anti-Marathi" views, saying he is proud of his "soldiers" and their "befitting response" that stems from their "love" for the local language.

In a post on X, Mr Thackeray referred to the political row over the clash between supporters from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) inside the Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday, and asked why was there no outrage over incidents allegedly insulting the Marathi language. MNS workers have come under criticism for their continuous targeting and confrontation, fuelled by the language politics in Maharashtra. Last week, a migrant auto-rickshaw driver in Maharashtra's Palghar district was assaulted in full public view by MNS and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters. A few days earlier, an argument between a man named Bhavesh Padolia, a migrant from  Uttar Pradesh, and an auto-rickshaw driver -- himself a migrant -- at Virar station went viral.On July 1, MNS workers in Thane slapped a street food vendor for refusing to converse in Marathi.