'Speak Marathi or get out': Fight over local train seat in Mumbai turns into language row
Amid ongoing language row in Maharashtra, a viral video shows a woman telling others to 'speak Marathi or get out' during an argument on a local train in Mumbai
A fight for a seat in a crowded Mumbai local train degenerated into a full-blown language row, with one woman telling the other to speak Marathi or "get out".
The incident took place on Friday evening (July 18) in a crowded ladies' coach of a Central Line train.
Speak Marathi or get out
What started as a minor disagreement over seats quickly turned into a heated debate about language. A video of the incident, showing six to seven women arguing over a seat, has since gone viral on social media. However, in the midst of the argument, one woman criticised another passenger for not speaking in Marathi.
"If you want to stay in our Mumbai, speak Marathi, otherwise get out," she told her.
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This led to other women joining in, turning the argument into a larger issue about language.
No formal complaint
Railway authorities confirmed the incident took place in the ladies' compartment of a local train on the Central Railway. However, no formal complaint has been filed with the authorities yet.
The Railway Protection Force and the Government Railway Police are investigating the incident.
Ongoing language row
This incident comes in the backdrop of the ongoing language row in Maharashtra, with Raj Thackeray's MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) party workers being criticised for continuously confronting people not speaking in Marathi.
Earlier this week, in a separate incident, a shopkeeper in Vikhroli was attacked by MNS workers for a WhatsApp status deemed offensive to the Marathi community. The shopkeeper was forced to apologise publicly even as he was being physically assaulted.
On July 1, in another incident, MNS workers in Thane slapped a street food vendor for refusing to speak Marathi. A migrant auto-rickshaw driver in Palghar district was also assaulted by MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters for not speaking the language.
Businessman targeted
There was also the incident of businessman Sushil Kedia, whose Mumbai office was allegedly vandalized by MNS workers after he publicly refused to learn Marathi.
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Surveillance footage captured five to six supporters of Raj Thackeray hurling objects, believed to be bricks, at the premises.
A security guard attempted to intervene but the group continued until they had emptied their bags. Kedia later issued a public apology after his office was damaged.