Daijiworld Media Network - Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai, Jul 26: The simmering language debate in Maharashtra took a violent turn on Tuesday when a 20-year-old student was assaulted with a hockey stick outside ICLES' Motilal Jhunjhunwala College in Vashi over a Marathi wedding invitation.
According to police, Suraj Pawar, a BSc IT student, was allegedly beaten by four classmates, including Faizan Naik, after he shared a wedding invitation in Marathi on a college WhatsApp group and insisted others respond in the same language. The group chat reportedly turned hostile when Naik responded in Hindi, triggering an argument that spilled over into physical violence.
On Tuesday morning, Naik and three others confronted Pawar outside the college and allegedly hit him on the head with a hockey stick. Based on Pawar’s complaint, Vashi police registered an FIR against the accused under relevant sections of the IPC.
The incident has since sparked a political uproar, with MNS leader Gajanan Kale visiting the police station. “A minor issue involving Marathi has turned violent. This is unfortunate. Politicians like Nishikant Dubey (BJP) and Abu Azmi (SP) are fuelling linguistic divisions among youth,” Kale told media.
Activists blamed the rising influence of provocative viral videos, including those showing MNS workers assaulting people for not speaking in Marathi, for creating societal tension. “Politics over language should not lead to such violence. Every Indian language is equally significant,” an activist said.
The incident has reignited the debate around linguistic identity, freedom of expression, and rising intolerance in public and student spaces.