Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane on Friday lashed out at the alleged assault of a shop owner in Thane for refusing to speak in Marathi. Alleging that only Hindus were being targeted for not speaking Marathi, Rane asked if lyricist Javed Akhtar and actor Aamir Khan could speak Marathi.
"Do Javed Akhtar and Aamir Khan speak in Marathi? Why beat up a poor Hindu?" Rane asked as he addressed the media over the issue.
The minister's remarks came days after a group of men, wearing Raj Thackeray-led party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) scarves, allegedly thrashed a man in Thane's Bhayander.
A viral video showed the group asking the shop owner "which language is spoken in the state,” after he talked to them in Hindi. According to news agency PTI, the shop owner replied, "all languages", after which he was slapped several times.
The incident sparked a huge row in Maharashtra, with many condemning the act. Reacting to it, Rane alleged that only Hindus were being targeted in this manner and challenged those behind the assault to "go to Null Bazaar, Mohammed Ali road and tell people there to speak Marathi".
"Do those beard-keepers and cap-wearers speak fluent Marathi? They don't have the courage to go there and beat them up," Rane could be heard saying.
{{/usCountry}}"Do those beard-keepers and cap-wearers speak fluent Marathi? They don't have the courage to go there and beat them up," Rane could be heard saying.
{{/usCountry}}The minister also asserted that the state government was formed on principles of Hindutva. "If anyone dares to do something like this, our government will also open its third eye," the minister further added.
Marathi row in Maharashtra
The Thane resident's thrashing is the latest case in a series of such incidents seen in Maharashtra over the past few months.
In April this year, a private security guard was allegedly beaten up by MNS workers in Mumbai's Powai for not knowing how to speak in Marathi.
In the same month, a viral video showed a woman carrying a baby and her friend being thrashed in Dombivli, allegedly for saying "excuse me" instead of speaking in Marathi.
Before that in March, MNS workers assaulted a D-Mart store employee in Versova after he allegedly said, “I will not speak in Marathi. I will speak only in Hindi. Do what you want to do.”