Caught on camera: Traders slapped, forced to apologise for not speaking Marathi at Sena UBT office in Thane
NEW DELHI: Just days after the assault of a Mira Road sweet shop owner by MNS workers over language, another disturbing video from Maharashtra has surfaced, this time involving Rajan Vichare, former MP and senior leader from Uddhav Thackeray ’s Shiv Sena (UBT).
In the now-viral clip, Vichare is seen summoning traders to his office in Thane, where his supporters allegedly slapped and humiliated them for not speaking in Marathi. The men were reportedly forced to apologise publicly and were repeatedly told to use Marathi while conducting business in the state.
The video, shared widely on social media, shows Vichare sitting calmly as his party workers confront the traders. One supporter can be seen slapping a trader while demanding an apology and shouting, “Speak in Marathi!”
This incident follows a tense week in Maharashtra, where language politics have flared up. After MNS activists attacked a north Indian shopkeeper in Mira Road for not using Marathi, the area’s market remained shut for a day in protest. Traders and local communities demanded protection and accountability from the state.
In response to the backlash, Aditya Thackeray attempted damage control, telling the media, “I spoke to Rajan Vichare ji. He said this was not a Marathi vs non-Marathi issue. It began when a party worker was not allowed to charge his phone, and the argument escalated.”
But critics aren’t buying it. The visual evidence suggests otherwise, and many have pointed out the growing pattern of linguistic vigilantism, now cutting across political factions.
In the now-viral clip, Vichare is seen summoning traders to his office in Thane, where his supporters allegedly slapped and humiliated them for not speaking in Marathi. The men were reportedly forced to apologise publicly and were repeatedly told to use Marathi while conducting business in the state.
The video, shared widely on social media, shows Vichare sitting calmly as his party workers confront the traders. One supporter can be seen slapping a trader while demanding an apology and shouting, “Speak in Marathi!”
This incident follows a tense week in Maharashtra, where language politics have flared up. After MNS activists attacked a north Indian shopkeeper in Mira Road for not using Marathi, the area’s market remained shut for a day in protest. Traders and local communities demanded protection and accountability from the state.
In response to the backlash, Aditya Thackeray attempted damage control, telling the media, “I spoke to Rajan Vichare ji. He said this was not a Marathi vs non-Marathi issue. It began when a party worker was not allowed to charge his phone, and the argument escalated.”
But critics aren’t buying it. The visual evidence suggests otherwise, and many have pointed out the growing pattern of linguistic vigilantism, now cutting across political factions.
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