'Government Also Wants Marathi to be Used'; CM Fadnavis on Thackeray's Threat Against Non-Marathi Speaking People

Recently, a security guard was slapped by three MNS workers for not speaking in Marathi sparking a debate nationwide. This incident happens after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray's statement, in which he said that the party would not back down from "slapping" people residing in the state if they refused to speak Marathi.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis responded to Thackeray’s statement, "I tell you clearly, it is not wrong to demand the use of Marathi in Maharashtra. The government also wants Marathi to be used as much as possible. However, if someone takes the law into their own hands, then the law will take its course."

On Sunday, Thackeray addressed the party’s annual Gudhi Padwa rally at Shivaji Park in Central Mumbai, “In our Mumbai, they tell us that they cannot speak Marathi… they will get a slap on the face. Don’t tell me about the country and all. Every state has its language and it must be respected. In Mumbai, Marathi should be respected.”

Congress leader Naseem Khan termed this as a political stunt amid elections, “We have seen in 2009 that similar tactics were used by the MNS ahead of Assembly elections. Now the BMC polls are coming and similar rhetoric is repeated.”

This is not the only case of violence in Maharashtra against non-Marathi speaking people. In a similar incident at a bank in Mumbai, an official was threatened for not speaking in Marathi. This creates a question whether the country is becoming intolerant and what will all of this lead to.