Kalyan: In a shocking incident of violent moral policing, workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have stirred outrage after a video surfaced showing them assaulting employees of a gaming in Kalyan, a suburb near Mumbai.
MNS workers led by local leader Ulhas Bhoir stormed into a gaming arcade and confronted staff for allegedly allowing school children in uniforms to visit during school hours. A video that went viral on Tuesday shows Bhoir accusing an employee of ruining the children’s future and slapping him when he responds, “What can I do?”
According to a Republic report, Bhoir went on to allege that students were skipping school and stealing money from home, “Rs 4,000 at times”, to play at the arcade. “He used to score 95% in Class 5. Now he gets 60%,” Bhoir shouted pointing out a student, issuing a stern warning that if students in uniform were seen again, the arcade would be demolished.
Claiming he acted on complaints from concerned parents, Bhoir justified the aggression, stating, “We told the staff not to allow students in uniform. This is the first and last warning.” While no police action has been reported in this matter yet, the video has sparked heated debate over the use of violence in the name of social responsibility.
Coaching Centre Director Attacked Over Fee Complaints
In a separate incident, another group of MNS workers was caught on video assaulting Siddharth Singh Chandel, the director of Siddharth Logic Coaching Centre, also in Kalyan. The coaching centre offers training for competitive exams, including the IAS.
In the 2.5-minute clip that went viral on Monday, Chandel is seen talking on the phone, attempting to calm the agitators. However, tensions quickly escalate. One MNS worker slaps Chandel, another throws a steel water bottle at him, and a third hurls a trophy, while frightened students huddle in a corner and record the assault on their phones.
The MNS has alleged that Chandel was charging high fees while not conducting classes personally. No official complaint has been filed in the matter so far.
