Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has triggered a fresh controversy with his latest remarks amid the escalating Marathi language row in Mumbai. Speaking shortly after his party workers allegedly vandalised the office of economist and entrepreneur Sushil Kedia, Thackeray said that while people should know Marathi, violence should not be flaunted on camera.
As quoted by ANI, Raj Thackeray said, “Be it a Gujarati or anyone else, they must know Marathi. But there is no need to beat people for that. However, if someone creates unnecessary drama, then yes—hit them below the ears. And one more thing: if you beat someone, don’t shoot videos of it. Let the person who was beaten say he was beaten; you don’t need to announce it.”
The remarks follow a violent episode where MNS workers allegedly attacked Kedia’s office in Mumbai. Kedia, a longtime resident of the city and founder of Kedionomics, had publicly criticised Raj Thackeray and declared that he would not learn Marathi. His social media posts earlier this week, in which he accused the MNS chief of “gross misconduct,” are believed to have triggered the backlash.
The incident has reignited debates over linguistic pride and intolerance in Maharashtra, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters. Police are currently investigating the attack on Kedia’s office, while no official arrests have been made yet.
