Police personnel outside investor Sushil Kedia's office after it was vandalised by MNS supporters, at Worli area, in Mumbai, Saturday, July 5. PTI
Language row hots up as MNS workers detained during protest rally in Thane
MNS workers were staging a rally to counter a traders’ protest over alleged assault of a food stall owner for not speaking Marathi. The rally paralysed parts of Thane district
Thane district in Maharashtra is on the boil over the language row with the police detaining Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party workers on Tuesday (July 8).
The police rounded up MNS workers as they staged a rally to counter a traders’ protest over the alleged assault of a food stall owner for notspeaking Marathi. The rally, staged in Mira Bhayander, paralysed parts of Thane district with massive police presence and traffic disruptions caused by road blockages.
Though MNS workers did not have police permission for the rally they decided to march to Mumbai. However, the police quickly detained MNS's Thane and Palghar head Avinash Jadhav and other leaders in the wee hours of the morning today and disrupted their plans.
Also read: 26/11 commando slams Raj, Uddhav over Marathi row
Emergency-like
MNS's Sandeep Deshpande told reporters that it was an ‘Emergency-like’ situation as their leaders were detained as early as 3.30 am in the morning. He also slammed the police for showing respect to the protest march by Gujarati traders but not to the march by Marathi people.
“The police are showing respect to the protest march of Gujarati traders, but are not giving permission to the march of Marathi people. What kind of emergency-like situation is this? Is this the government of Maharashtra or of Gujarat? No matter what they do, the march will definitely take place," Deshpande said.
Fadnavis’s claim
However, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rubbished the claims that the MNS workers were not given permission. He told reporters that the MNS workers were detained since they failed to follow the permitted route.
“I have spoken to the commissioner, who told me that the police did not refuse permission for the protest. We asked them to take an alternate route, but they did not agree to it," Fadnavis told reporters.
Also read: MNS workers' attack: CM says ‘won’t tolerate hooliganism in name of Marathi’
https://thefederal.com/category/states/west/maharashtra/attack-by-mns-workers-cm-sys-wont-tolerate-hooliganism-195276
Traders angry
Earlier this month, several MNS workers allegedly assaulted a food stall owner in Bhayander for not speaking Marathi. The incident, captured on video, went viral on social media and triggered widespread anger among the trader community.
Seven MNS members were detained and questioned but later released without charges. A case was however registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rioting, criminal intimidation, and assault.
Later, traders in Bhayander area held a massive protest, demanding action against the MNS workers who assaulted the food stall owner.
Row over Marathi
This incident comes in the wake of the MNS’s attempts to enforce the use of Marathi in commercial establishments and banks across the state.
Also read: Sushil Kedia, investor, alleges threats by MNS workers over Marathi language row
Last week, MNS workers vandalized an entrepreneur, Sushil Kedia’s office in Mumbai, after he posted on X that he does not speak fluent Marathi despite residing in Mumbai for 30 years. He had challenged Raj Thackeray on the issue.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had to step in to clarify the "inappropriate" remarks made by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on the language issue in the state.
Dubey's reported "patak patak ke marenge" remarks have caused a flutter.
The Lok Sabha member from Jharkhand had put out a controversial post amid the ongoing language row in Maharashtra and attacks on non-Marathi speaking people. "To those beating Hindi speakers in Mumbai, if you have the courage, try beating Urdu speakers in Maharashtra. Even a dog is a tiger in its own home. Decide for yourself who is the dog and who is the tiger," the MP from Godda posted on X.
Asked about the controversy, CM Fadnavis said, "If you listen to the complete statement of Nishikant Dubey, he particularly spoke about an organisation and not against Marathi people in general. However, in my opinion, it is inappropriate to make such comments. Its interpretation causes confusion among the minds of people."
Contribution of Marathis
The biggest contribution to the country's GDP comes from Maharashtra, the chief minister told reporters in the state Vidhan Bhavan premises.
"I feel no one can reject the contribution of Maharashtra and Marathi people in the history and present of the country. If someone is rejecting it, then I feel it is wrong," Fadnavis said.
"I repeat my comments again, Marathi people have immensely contributed to the state. When invaders tried to attack our culture, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Marathas fought across the country. During the third battle of Panipat, Abdali was ready to seal a pact but our Marathas did not so it," Fadnavis said