Controversy Surrounds Attack Over Marathi Language in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Jul 4 (PTI): BJP leader and Maharashtra minister, Nitesh Rane, has raised concerns after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) supporters allegedly attacked a 'Hindu man' for not conversing in Marathi.

Rane questioned whether "those who wear skull caps" were proficient in the Marathi language, reacting to a viral video where MNS workers reportedly thrashed a shopkeeper in Bhayandar, a suburb of Mumbai, for his alleged refusal to speak Marathi.

“A Hindu man was beaten up... Why are poor Hindus being assaulted? If you have the courage, try going to Null Bazaar or Mohammad Ali Road and show your strength there,” Rane remarked at the legislature complex on Thursday.

Null Bazaar and Mohammad Ali Road, predominantly Muslim areas in south Mumbai, became focal points in Rane’s comments.

“Do those with beards and skull caps in Mohammad Ali Road speak pure Marathi? Do Javed Akhtar or Aamir Khan converse in Marathi? You do not have the courage to make them speak in Marathi, but you choose to assault poor Hindus instead,” continued the minister.

Rane claimed the controversy surrounding the Marathi language was an attempt to divide Hindus.

“This is a conspiracy to turn the country into an Islamic state. Through love jihad, land jihad, and other tactics, efforts are being made to diminish the Hindu population in Mumbai. This violence is a part of that strategy. Why do you not go to Malvani and assault people there? Do they speak pure Marathi?" the BJP leader argued.

Rane reminded listeners that the current government, rooted in Hindutva ideology, was elected by Hindus. “If anyone dares to act in this manner, our government will respond,” he warned.

Adding to the debate, Rane’s cabinet colleague, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik, critiqued the MNS, asserting it does not monopolize the Marathi language issue.

“Does the MNS alone possess the right to fight for the Marathi language? If someone is taking the law into their hands and targeting working-class individuals for political or financial gains, it will not be tolerated,” Sarnaik emphasized.

“We also take pride in being Marathi and our Hindutva identity. We will not tolerate such incidents. Traders should not be threatened. I asked the police to act, and they have," he added.

The language issue intensified ahead of upcoming civic elections, following the BJP-led government’s decision to introduce Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in state schools. Protests alleging the imposition of Hindi on students led to the eventual withdrawal of the order.

While the video of the shopkeeper’s assault in Bhayandar circulated online, another viral video showed two individuals being compelled to apologize to a man in the presence of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Rajan Vichare for allegedly assaulting him, with one of the men slapped by the “victim.”

“Speak in Marathi since you have hit a Marathi person,” a voice is heard instructing one of the two men as he attempts to speak to Vichare, a former MP from Thane. PTI ND KRK

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