A 20-year-old student was allegedly beaten up outside a Navi Mumbai college after he asked his classmates in a WhatsApp group to speak Marathi.
The incident occurred when the student, reportedly annoyed with constant messages in Hindi, replied in Marathi, telling everyone to "speak in Marathi language or else Raj Thackeray will come," NDTV reported.
The remark, made in reference to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray, whose party has been at the centre of the current Marathi controversy, triggered an angry exchange on the messaging group.
According to police sources, the student's comment sparked an argument on the WhatsApp group, which kept escalating.
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Around 10:30am the following morning, four students, one of whom was Faizan Naik, assaulted the student who had requested them to use Marathi outside their college in Vashi. Naik also struck the 20-year-old on the head with a hockey stick, leaving him seriously hurt, the publication added.
The injured student is undergoing treatment, and an FIR has been filed against the accused.
{{/usCountry}}The injured student is undergoing treatment, and an FIR has been filed against the accused.
{{/usCountry}}The attack has provoked severe responses from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. MNS spokesperson Gajanan Kale, who met with both the student and police authorities, called for stern and speedy action against the accused.
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"A First Information Report has been filed at the Vashi police station regarding a quarrel between two groups. The quarrel was over an argument between two people about remarks on the group," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Vashi) Adinath Budhwant told NDTV.
Marathi row
The language row in Maharashtra began when the state government planned to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools in the state. The order had sparked huge backlash from the opposition and language advocacy groups in the state.
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The row further gained traction following Raj Thackeray's speech during a recent victory rally in Mumbai, where he told Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers to ensure that non-Marathi speakers in the city learn the local language, but refrained from recording any violent acts.