Daijiworld Media Network – Kalyan
Kalyan, Jul 28: Political violence resurfaced in Maharashtra after workers of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) assaulted Siddharth Singh Chandel, the head of a coaching institute in Kalyan, near Mumbai.
A viral video lasting two and a half minutes shows three MNS men confronting Chandel, who runs the Siddhartha Logic coaching centre, known for preparing aspirants for competitive exams, including the civil services. The attackers accused him of charging hefty fees without conducting regular classes.
In the footage, Chandel is seen speaking on a phone and attempting to calm the group. Moments later, one man slaps him, another hurls a steel bottle, and a third throws a wooden plaque. Throughout the incident, frightened female students huddle in a corner, with one of them recording the assault on her phone.
The video ends with Chandel rising from his seat as one of the attackers threatens him further.
This attack adds to a recent string of violent incidents allegedly involving MNS workers, including assaults on shopkeepers in Mira Road and Vikhroli, and targeting of migrant auto drivers in Mumbai.
Despite growing criticism, the MNS and Raj Thackeray have neither condemned the violence nor offered any apology. On the contrary, Thackeray has reportedly defended the actions of his party men and issued warnings of further violence if criticised.
In previous cases, police action has been minimal or delayed. In the Mira Road assault, seven attackers were summoned only after media pressure and later released without arrest, even though the incident was caught on video.
These attacks come amid protests against the state government's decision to introduce Hindi as a mandatory subject from classes I to V. The move has drawn strong opposition from MNS and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, with Raj Thackeray positioning himself as a staunch defender of the Marathi language.
Shockingly, Maharashtra Home Minister Yogesh Kadam avoided commenting on the attacks and instead warned against "disrespecting Marathi", saying, “Marathi will have to be spoken in Maharashtra.”