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'Where were your warriors': Ex-commando, part of 26/11 operations, slams Raj Thackeray amid Marathi row
Praveen Teotia, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, played a crucial role in clearing out the terrorists who had taken over Mumbai’s Taj Hotel during 26/11 attacks.
Former MARCOS commando Praveen Teotia questioned Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, asking where his ‘warriors’ were during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Teotia, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, played a crucial role in clearing out the terrorists who had taken over Mumbai’s Taj Hotel, saving over 150 lives. His comments come amid the language row in Maharashtra, which saw MNS workers assaulting a shopkeeper for allegedly not speaking Marathi.
Taking to social media platform X, Teotia shared a photo of himself smiling in commando gear and said that a smile doesn't require any language.
“I saved Mumbai on 26/11. I bleed for Maharashtra. I'm from UP. I saved the Taj Hotel. Where were Raj Thakre's so Called Warriors? Don't divide the Nation. Smiles don't require any Language,” Teotia wrote in the post.
Praveen Teotia reportedly led his team in the evacuation of the Taj Hotel during the 26/11 attacks and was hit by four bullets during the operation.
Raj Thackeray says 'slap but don't make a video'
During his reunion rally with Shiv Sena (UBT) supremo and cousin Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai's Worli Dome on Saturday, Raj Thackeray asked MNS workers not to make a video if they assault anyone over the Marathi language.
“Be it a Gujarati or anyone else here, must know Marathi, but there is no need to beat people for that if they don't speak Marathi. Yet, if someone does some drama, you must hit them below their eardrums,” Thackeray said.
He followed up with advice: “If you beat someone, don't make a video of the incident. Let the person beaten up tell that he has been beaten up; you don't need to tell everyone.”
Uddhav Thackeray also addressed criticism about the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers slapping and intimidating people, including street vendors, over their not speaking in Marathi.
“Yes, we are goons; if we have to be goons to get justice, we will do goondagiri,” he said.
