Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Kadam has issued a nuanced statement, affirming the importance of the state language while simultaneously urging citizens not to take the law into their own hands. The statement came amidst the controversy surrounding the assault of a shopkeeper for allegedly refusing to speak Marathi. The police did not proceed with arrests despite the FIR being filed, stating that the current legal provisions did not permit the detention of the individuals at this stage.
The minister’s comments come as a video of the incident, involving members of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has gone viral. He said, “In Maharashtra, you have to speak Marathi. If you don’t know Marathi, your attitude shouldn’t be that you won’t speak Marathi… If anyone disrespects Marathi in Maharashtra, we will enforce our laws.”
However, the minister swiftly balanced this assertion and added, “Those who beat up (the shop owner) should not take the law into their own hands. They should have filed a complaint against the concerned person; action would have been taken.”
Traders call for a Bandh
The Traders Association of Mira Road-Bhayandar declared a ‘Bandh’ today over not arresting MNS workers who were seen assaulting the shopkeeper in a video. After the alleged incident on Tuesday, an FIR was filed against the seven individuals at the Kashimira police station. However, only notices were being sent, and no arrest took place, according to the media reports.
According to the reports, the accused were not in jail as there were no serious charges against them, which delayed the immediate arrest. The charges had only 2 years of imprisonment, which led protestors to demand that the ‘IT Act’ (Information Technology Act) be added to the case.
If included, this would add five years to the potential prison sentence, bringing the total to seven years. A case involving a potential seven-year imprisonment is considered much more serious, which could then lead to stricter legal actions, including an immediate arrest of the accused.
Shopkeeper slapping controversy
A video went viral, showing a shopkeeper being repeatedly slapped by members of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) over a dispute about speaking Marathi. The incident, which occurred on Sunday night, sparked widespread outrage.
The video depicts MNS members confronting the shopkeeper, demanding that he speak in Marathi and threatening him. When the shopkeeper questioned the necessity of speaking Marathi and stated that “all languages” are spoken in Maharashtra, he was verbally abused and then physically assaulted. At least two men were seen slapping the shopkeeper multiple times in the viral video.
The incident comes amidst a broader controversy regarding language policy in the state. While an FIR has been registered against seven MNS workers, no arrests have yet been made. This event has drawn strong reactions, including from state ministers, and highlights ongoing tensions surrounding linguistic identity in Maharashtra.