Some workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray were arrested in Thane's Mira Road on Tuesday when they organised a march to counter protests against the 'slapgate' incident, where MNS workers beat up a stall owner for failing to use Marathi.
Dramatic scenes unfolded as MNS workers took to the streets and police apprehended them and bundled them into police vans. Police did not allow today's protest. During detention, some MNS workers wondered why traders were permitted to protest against the 'slapgate' episode, but their counter-protest was banned. Most of them asserted that whoever resides in Maharashtra would have to study Marathi and warned that others who do not will "face consequences".
The police arrested also arrested MNS Thane-Palghar chief Avinash Jadhav. The police arrested him from his residence in Thane at around 3:30 am. Police have tightened security in Bhayandar.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected the allegations that police refused permission for holding the rally. "In Maharashtra, anyone can organise a protest march. Anyone can do it after getting police permission. There are traffic problems, chances of stampede etc. The police commissioner informed me that they (MNS leaders) were requested to shift the route, but they were rigid. So police held them back," he said.
Swiping at his competition, the Chief Minister stated, "I believe I understand Maharashtra's mood. Such experiments won't find support here. A Marathi has an expansive heart. He does not think small."
Also read: Uddhav Thackeray hits back at BJP MP Dubey with ‘lakadbagha’ jibe
At the eye of the language storm is an attack on a shopkeeper late on Sunday. Forty-eight-year-old Babulal Chaudhary, owner of the 'Jodhpur Sweet Shop' in Mira Road, was slapped and intimidated by the seven MNS goons because his employees, Mr Bagharam, addressed the men in Hindi. The MNS employees ordered Mr Chaudhary and Mr Bagharam to communicate in Marathi, and the business owner mentioned that all languages are used in the state. A clip of the attack was shared on social media and went viral, reviving the language controversy in Maharashtra.
The language row is also happening against the background of significant action in Maharashtra politics. Estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and MNS leader Raj Thackeray have reconciled and are challenging the BJP's political onslaught over the 'slapgate' row. The 'slapgate' row came on the heels of the political controversy over the state government proposing 'Hindi' in the primary school curriculum. This was subsequently withdrawn.
The controversy has led to some fiery exchanges between leaders on the two sides of the political divide. Senior BJP leader and MP Nishikant Dubey targeted Thackerays and challenged them to visit Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
"If one is so brave that you can defeat people who speak Hindi, then you must defeat people who speak other languages such as Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu as well. If you're such a big 'boss,' move out of Maharashtra, come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu— tumko patak ke maarenge," said the Bharatiya Janata Party leader.
Uddhav Thackeray charged the BJP with attempting to take political mileage through "divide and rule policy". He claimed he had no objection to any language, but would resist its imposition through force. "Divide and rule has always been BJP's policy. This politics of divide is now losing its place. I can understand if their party is upset due to our rally's success in Mumbai on Saturday," he told journalists.
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