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‘Overreacted’: What Maha investor said in apology over ‘won’t learn Marathi' remark after office vandalised
Five workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were arrested on Saturday in connection with the vandalism at Sushil Kedia's office in Worli.
Maharashtra businessman Sushil Kedia, whose office in Worli was vandalised by workers of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), said he was withdrawing from his “overreaction”, the comments he made on the party chief amid reports of common citizens of the state getting targeted over a lack of proficiency in the Marathi language.
Five workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were arrested on Saturday in connection with the vandalism at Sushil Kedia's office in Worli.
A case was registered against them under Sections 223, 189(2), 189(3), 190, 191(2), 191(3), and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
What happened
Office of Sushil Kedia, a prominent investor, was vandalised by MNS workers a day after he had challenged Raj Thackeray in a post on social media platform X and said that he will not learn Marathi as a protest against “gross misconduct” of the MNS chief.
“I don’t know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai & with your gross misconduct I have made it a resolve that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus I take pratigya I won’t learn Marathi. Kya karna hai bol?” Kedia had posted on X.
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande responded, advising Kedia to focus on his business. “Do business if you're a businessman; don't try to act like our father. If you insult Marathi in Maharashtra, you'll get a slap on the ear, otherwise, stay in your lane, Mehta or whoever. That's all for now.” Deshpande posted on X.
After Deshpande’s post, Kedia approached police, claiming he was getting threats for his social media post.
“We contacted Kedia after he tagged Mumbai Police in his post,” a police official said. On Friday, Kedia posted another message on X. “Shri @RajThackeray threatening me by 100s of your workers is not going to make me a fluent Marathi speaker. If I am not confident of the quality of Marathi I can speak, with so much threatening around even more fear happens that if I miss speaking any word(s) improperly more violence will happen. Get the point. Love, not threat makes people get assimilated together,” his post read. “Please note @CPMumbaiPolice @Dev_Fadnavis open threats of violence are being issued by @RajThackeray workers. Provide me safety. Is an Indian having any rights to dignity & safety in Maharashtra today is a question even our @HMOIndia @AmitShah ji might ponder on as well,” Kedia said on X. Kedia's post came after a sweet mart owner was assaulted by seven MNS workers in Mira Road near Mumbai recently for not speaking in Marathi.
Kedia withdraws comments on Raj Thackeray
On Saturday, Kedia stated that he made these comments in haste and has now realised his mistake. Stressing that his comments have been taken out of context by some sections, Kedia said, “My tweet [X post] happened in a wrong state of mind under stress. And further, now it is getting manipulated and misinterpreted to suit the interests of people who want to gain from any controversy.”
Kedia said that he made those comments after common citizens of Maharashtra were getting targeted over a lack of proficiency in Marathi.
"Having come under pressure mentally from the violence inflicted on those who do not know Marathi, I ended up overreacting. I realised I must take back my overreactions and withdraw," he said.
Praising MNS chief Raj Thackeray for raising "strong issues" that matter to the Hindus, Thackeray said, "Whether it was the Hanuman Chalisa campaign in recent memories or always, the championing of Hindutva and Rashtravad that he has done, he has always been a hero. But this time, when our own have been loggerheads with each other, my mind went haywire under stress."
Sushil Kedia added that citizens here in Maharashtra will be inclined to learn the Marathi language if encouraged in the right manner.
"I have realised my mistake, and I wish to correct it unequivocally. The concerned people may also hopefully consider someday soon that instead of frightening people if you provide us encouragement, it will help us overcome our hesitations in achieving fluency in the Marathi language more rapidly, as we will be fearlessly using it more and more. Of course, the tweet that I made out of haste, out of the stress," Kedia said while admitting that he clearly "overreacted" in his previous post.
