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Raj Thackeray, amid the ongoing language row in the state, warned that if someone can’t understand Marathi even when it’s spoken directly into their ear, they’ll get a slap.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray (File)
The language row in Maharashtra continues to intensify, with the latest remark coming from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, who said that if someone doesn’t understand Marathi, they will get a tight slap.
“Now if you can’t understand Marathi even when it’s spoken directly into your ear, you’ll get a slap below it. People create a fuss for no reason,” Raj Thackeray said while addressing a rally in Mumbai’s Mira-Bhayandar, where his party workers had assaulted a shop owner a few days ago for not speaking Marathi.
Recalling the incident and taunting the local traders for protesting against the assault on the shopkeeper, Raj Thackeray said, “Whatever happened to that person was because of his attitude. Other traders had called for a shutdown. But if someone closes their shop under pressure, understand this—how long will you keep your shop shut? If we stop buying, then what?”
He then says that if someone is in the state, they should remain quiet and do their work.
“But if you fool around here, a slap is guaranteed,” he added.
Thackeray also responded to BJP leader Nishikant Dubey’s “Patak Patak ke Maarenge (We will beat you up mercilessly)” remark, and said he will drown the BJP leader in the sea of Mumbai.
“A BJP MP said, ‘Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarenge’…You come to Mumbai. Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge,” Thackeray said.
The ongoing debate over the promotion and enforcement of the Marathi language in Maharashtra has intensified, with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers at the center of several recent controversies. Incidents involving verbal and physical assaults, vandalism, and public intimidation have been reported from various parts of the state, drawing widespread criticism and legal scrutiny.
In multiple videos that have gone viral on social media, MNS workers are seen confronting shopkeepers, auto drivers, and even bank employees for not speaking Marathi. In one shocking incident in Mumbai, a medical shop employee was beaten and forced to apologise publicly for allegedly posting a WhatsApp status deemed disrespectful to the Marathi language. In another case from Pune, a bank manager was slapped during work hours for addressing customers in Hindi.
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Maharashtra, India, India
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