Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai
Mumbai, Jul 17: A shocking incident of mob intimidation and assault in the name of linguistic pride has surfaced from Mumbai’s Vikhroli area, where a shopkeeper hailing from Rajasthan was publicly beaten and humiliated by workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) over a WhatsApp status that was perceived as offensive to the Marathi-speaking community.
The victim, who runs a small shop in Tagore Nagar, reportedly shared a WhatsApp status that read: "Dekh liya Rajasthani ka power. Hum Marwari hamare saamne kisi ki nahi chalti." MNS workers, incensed by the message which they claimed belittled Marathi pride, descended on the shop in a group, caught the man outside his store, slapped him, and forced him to publicly apologise, as seen in a now-viral video.
The footage shows the shopkeeper holding his ears in repentance and pleading: "I will not repeat such a mistake." All this while, the MNS workers continued to threaten him, warning that any similar posts in the future, from him or his associates, would invite graver consequences. Disturbingly, the video was shot, edited, and circulated by the attackers themselves, complete with a Marathi song and the MNS logo, directly contradicting party chief Raj Thackeray’s public orders urging workers not to record such actions.
Following the incident, the man was dragged to the local police station, where a formal complaint was registered. Meanwhile, MNS local leader Vishwajit Dholam announced a boycott of the shop, urging residents to stop doing business with "such traders".
This is not an isolated event. Just two weeks ago in Thane, MNS workers assaulted a street vendor for refusing to speak Marathi. A similar episode unfolded in Virar, where a migrant rickshaw driver from Uttar Pradesh was slapped and forced to apologise for asserting his right to speak in Hindi. That incident had the backing of leaders from both MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), with some defending the assault as a response to "Marathi language insult".
Political observers note a rising trend in linguistic vigilantism across parts of Maharashtra, particularly against non-Marathi communities. While some defend these actions as protecting Marathi asmita (pride), others see it as a worrying sign of growing intolerance and moral policing.
Despite public criticism and prior arrests, MNS workers continue to act with impunity, further complicating the already sensitive equation between Maharashtra’s political parties and its diverse linguistic population.
Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway and further action will be taken based on the shopkeeper’s complaint.