MNS workers beat up food stall operator over ‘anti-Marathi’ remarks

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists allegedly assaulted a food stall operator in Kalyan area of Thane district, accusing him of making derogatory remarks against Marathi people and Raj Thackeray.

Taking cognisance of the viral video, a police official said the law and order monitoring has been stepped up.

The incident occurred at a hotel in Durgamata Mandir Chowk area on Friday.

The video clip shows MNS’s Kalyan (East) office-bearer Kush Rajput and other workers confronting the operator of a south Indian food outlet and beating him up.

He was forced to apologise and made to promise that he wouldn’t make such remarks in future.

The incident comes against the backdrop of MNS workers thrashing a north Indian sweet shop owner in the Mira Bhayandar area, also in Thane district, for being unable to speak Marathi.

Police had registered a case in the Mira Bhayandar incident.

“We have seen the video of the Kalyan incident circulating on social media. As of now, no police complaint has been filed. We have stepped up law and order monitoring in the area,” he added.

Attacks on north Indian migrants settled in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region increased in the last two months amid a row over the implementation of a three-language policy in Maharashtra.

Amid a hue and cry over the imposition of Hindi in the school curriculum, the Mahayuti government had to withdraw two Government Resolutions in June that reportedly made Hindi a default third language for students of classes one to five.