Marathi Language Row: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Mumbai president Sandeep Deshpande on Saturday issued a fresh threat for those who don't speak Marathi in Maharashtra. He said non-Marathi-speaking people would be driven out of the state.
"Living in Maharashtra and not speaking Marathi is the arrogance shown by traitors of Maharashtra. Those who don’t want to speak in Marathi can leave Maharashtra. Otherwise, we will show these Maharashtra traitors their place," he said in an X post fuelling the language row further.
महाराष्ट्रात राहून मराठी बोलणार नाही हा माज दाखवणारे महाराष्ट्रद्रोहीच.ज्यांना मराठी मध्ये बोलायचं नाही ते महाराष्ट्र सोडून जाऊ शकतात .अन्यथा महाराष्ट्र द्रोह्याना त्यांची लायकी दाखवू
— Sandeep Deshpande (@SandeepDadarMNS) April 5, 2025
Earlier, Deshpande, while speaking on an incident where an MNS worker allegedly slapped a supermarket employee in Mumbai for not speaking Marathi, asserted if someone knows Marathi and refuses to speak it, that is an offence.
If someone shows such an attitude, they will have to face the consequences, and this (assault) will continue, he added.
MNS workers confront 2 bank managers for not communicating in Marathi
In separate incidents, MNS workers confronted two managers of different nationalised banks in Thane and Pune districts in the state for not using Marathi while communicating with customers, intensifying an ongoing row over the language.
The incidents occurred on Wednesday at Ambernath town in Thane and at Lonavala, a popular hill station in Pune, and their videos have gone viral on social media platforms.
In Lonavala, the police registered a non-cognisable offence against an MNS worker for slapping a bank employee during their conversation with the manager, an official said.
In the video, MNS workers are seen arguing with the manager of the State Bank of India's Lonavala branch for not using Marathi language, and warning him to communicate in the local language.
When a Marathi-speaking employee of the bank tries to intervene, some party workers are seen slapping him and pushing him out of the cabin.
Police case registered
"We have registered an offence against one MNS worker for slapping the bank employee. The bank has also submitted a complaint, and we are investigating," senior police inspector Suhas Jagtap of Lonavala police station said.
Strict action will be taken: Fadnavis
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday warned attempts by some people to take law into their hands while demanding the use of Marathi will not be tolerated, remarks coming in the backdrop of aggressive promotion of the state's official language by MNS.
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(With PTI inputs)