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‘Marathi ko mara na’: Scuffle over phone recharge turns into Marathi vs Non-Marathi row after video goes viral
The issue received a fresh lease of life after a video of Shiv Sena UBT MP Rajan Vichare's office went viral.
A simple request for a phone recharge in Thane has sparked a Marathi vs Non-Marathi row, with a Shiv Sena (UBT) MP at the centre of the controversy.
The incident took place on July 1, when a 43-year-old man, Kiran Tanaji Sawant, visited a local shop in Thane requesting for a phone recharge. However, Sawant allegedly lost his temper after the recharge couldn't be completed owing to a technical issue, according to the staff members of the shop.
They claimed that Sawant created chaos, which led to a fight between him and four or five of the shop staff. During the scuffle, Sawant sustained injuries and filed a police complaint afterwards.
A case under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) pertaining to causing hurt was filed, and four staff members were detained. They were released later after being served legal notices.
Viral video of Sena (UBT) MP's office
The issue received a fresh lease of life after a video of Shiv Sena UBT MP Rajan Vichare's office went viral. In the video, both parties – the staff members and Sawant are present.
While a staff member tries to speak, one of Vichare's aide interrupts him, saying, “Marathi mein bol, Marathi ko mara na? Marathi mein bol.”
The clip further showed the staff members approaching Sawant – who was sitting – and apologising by folding their hands and touching their feet. Sawant then goes on to slap the staff members, who are also made to hold their ears and admit that they were wrong before the camera.
The incident comes close on the heels of a another one which took place on Tuesday (July 1), wherein a group of men wearing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) scarves allegedly assaulted a Thane shop owner for not speaking in Marathi.
The men had gone to the shop to buy food. After the owner spoke to them in Hindi, they asked him, “Which language is spoken in the state?” When the owner responded saying “all languages”, one of the men shouted and slapped him several times, along with the others.
