A supermarket employee in Mumbai was allegedly slapped by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers after he refused to speak in Marathi, sparking controversy over language enforcement in the state.
The incident took place on Tuesday at a D-Mart store in Versova, Andheri (West). A viral video circulating on social media shows the employee telling a customer, “I will not speak in Marathi, I will speak only in Hindi. Do what you want to do.”
Following this, a group of MNS workers, led by the party’s Versova unit president Sandesh Desai, confronted the employee and allegedly slapped him. Another video of the assault has also surfaced online, further fueling the debate.
According to officials, the employee later issued an apology for his remarks. However, the incident has reignited discussions on linguistic identity in Maharashtra, where the MNS has consistently advocated for the promotion and mandatory use of Marathi in public spaces.
Sources By Agencies
