Non-Marathi woman tries to self-immolate amid tiff with Marathi group in Thane

The Marathi-speaking vendors sparred with the non-Marathi group over setting up stalls during the ongoing festive season in Dombivli.

A fresh incident in Maharashtra seemed to have fuelled the ongoing language row on Tuesday, as a non-Marathi woman vendor allegedly tried to set herself on fire during a heated tiff with Marathi-speaking vendors over setting up stalls in light of the festive season in Thane's Dombivli town.

But the woman was quickly saved by bystanders and civil officials when the incident occurred on Tuesday.(Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

But the woman was quickly saved by bystanders and civil officials when the incident occurred on Tuesday, news agency PTI reported, citing officials.

The dispute on the Gupte Road led to a brief stand-off and required the intervention of civil officials as well as local leaders, who stepped in to restore calm in the situation.

A group of Marathi women had secured official permission from the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to set up their stalls for the ongoing festive season, according to officials.

However, when they arrived at the location to begin preparations for their stalls, some non-Marathi vendors there refused to vacate the space.

An argument erupted over the space, which soon escalated into an exchange of abuses and accusations.

Meanwhile, a KDMC encroachment department official confirmed that the space was allotted to the Marathi-speaking vendors. "Despite our instructions, the non-Marathi group initially refused to cooperate. After discussions with both sides, the matter was temporarily resolved," he said.

Police have increased their vigilance in the area to prevent any further flare-up.

Several incidents of violence have occurred over the language row in Maharashtra. Earlier in July, 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.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers also allegedly attacked an attendant at the Nanded state transport bus stand after he reportedly refused to speak Marathi. The incident took place in July when a man confronted the Hindi-speaking migrant and questioned why he was charging women ₹5 to use the public toilet facilities.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that hooliganism in the name of language will not be tolerated in the state. “Having pride in the Marathi language is not wrong, but if someone engages in hooliganism in the name of language, we will not tolerate it,” he said.

"If anyone resorts to violence based on language, it will not be tolerated," Fadnavis added.