In a dramatic development, a Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena chief tried to join MNS Protest against his government amid the raging language debate in Maharashtra.
Several workers of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) detained in Thane’s Mira Road this morning when they took out a march to counter the protests against the ‘slapgate’ incident. They also assaulted a food stall owner for not speaking Marathi.
Political War starts from MNS Protest
Chaotic visuals performed out as MNS workers hit the streets and police officers stuck them and placed them in police vehicles. The police did not allow protest. While detained, several MNS people questioned why traders allowed to protest against the ‘slapgate’ incident, however their counter-protest prohibited. Many of them stated that whoever lives in Maharashtra must learn Marathi and threatened that those who do not will “face results”.
CM Devendra Fadnavis denied the allegations that police denied permission for the rally. “In Maharashtra, all has the right to take out a protest march. Anyone can do after taking police permission. There are visitors issues, stampede risks etc. The police commissioner told me they (MNS leaders) asked to change the route, however they had been adamant. So police stopped them,” he said.
Police arrested MNS workers for creating violence
At the centre of the language row is an attack on a shopkeeper late on Sunday. 48 year old Babulal Chaudhary, who runs the ‘Jodhpur Sweet Shop’ in Mira Road, slapped and threatened by 7 MNS workers, because he spoke in Hindi.
They demanded that Mr Chaudhary and Mr Bagharam talk in Marathi, and the store owner talked about that all languages spoken in the state. A video of the attack went viral on social media, reigniting the language debate in Maharashtra, and turns MNS Protest into political war.
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