No woman should go through this, says Mumbai shop owner slapped by MNS leader

On August 28, Vinod Argile, a local leader of the MNS, was seen slapping Prakash Devi and then getting into a heated argument with her even as locals tried to pacify them, the video of the incident which has gone viral on social media, showed.

Prakash Devi, a local shop owner in Mumbai, who was slapped by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Vinod Argile and two other party workers on August 28, said no other woman should face a similar ordeal.

Prakash Devi- the woman who was slapped by MNS local leader Vinod Argile and two other party workers.  (ANI)

Devi, aged 60, who owns a shop in Mumbai’s Kamathipura area, told news agency ANI on Thursday spoke about why Argile and the two men with him had slapped and hit her.

“Yes, I did file a case. Police are probing the case. They wanted to install a banner outside my shop, but I declined and told them to install it somewhere else, so they hit me... No woman should go through this,” Devi added.

The incident

On August 28, Argile, a local leader of the MNS, was seen slapping Prakash Devi and then getting into a heated argument with her even as locals tried to pacify them, the video of the incident which has gone viral on social media, showed.

Devi had objected to Argile and the MNS workers installing a bamboo pole for putting up an advertisement in front of her shop in Kamathipura, police said. Devi also said that the party workers abused her.

On Thursday, Argile and the two MNS workers were arrested for abusing, slapping and pushing Devi.

‘Viral video not complete’

MNS leader Keshav Mulay said the viral video depicting his party colleague Argile has not been edited. Speaking to ANI, Mulay said, “MNS respects women but that woman kicked our party’s banner and abused our party workers, which is edited out. Vinod Argile also has temper issues. We have faith in the judicial system.”