The controversy over the use of Marathi language, took a new turn on Friday with Sushil Kedia, a high-profile investor and mentor, seeking police protection after he received several threats from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Earlier in the day, he had, through X, openly challenged MNS chief Raj Thackeray and asserted that he will not learn Marathi. He said he has been in Mumbai for 30 years and did not know the state language. And since MNS cadres were assaulting shopkeepers for not speaking Marathi Kedia said said he will not learn language as a protest against gross misconduct of the MNS chief.
"I dont know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai with your gross misconduct I have made it a resolve that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus I take 'pratigya' I wont learn Marathi," he averred.
Following this X post, Kedia received a number of threats which scared him and he has sought police protection.
Mumbai unit chief of MNS Sandeep Deshpande asked Kedia to concentrate on his business and not state anything against Marathi.
"If you insult Marathi in Maharashtra, you'll get a slap on the ear, otherwise, stay in your lane. That's all for now." Deshpande posted on X.
After Deshpande's tweet, Kedia approached police, claiming he was getting threats for his social media post. Since Kedia had tagged Mumbai police, an inspector contacted him. Kedia's company Kedianomics has its office in Vaswani Chambers, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli. Security is expected to be provided in the office building on Saturday.
On Friday, Kedia posted another message on X. "Shri @RajThackeray threatening me by 100s of your workers is not going to make me a fluent Marathi speaker. If I am not confident of the quality of Marathi I can speak, with so much threatening around even more fear happens that if I miss speaking any word(s) improperly more violence will happen. Get the point. Love, not threat makes people get assimilated together," his post read.
"Please note @CPMumbaiPolice @Dev_Fadnavis open threats of violence are being issued by @RajThackeray workers. Provide me safety. Is an Indian having any rights to dignity & safety in Maharashtra today is a question even our @HMOIndia @AmitShah ji might ponder on as well," Kedia said on X.
Kedia's frist post was in response to the assault of a farsan seller of Mira Road by MNS workers. Hundreds of shopkeepers of Mira Road had staged a protest on Thursday.
The MNS workers were detained and allowed to go after the police served notices on them, an official said.
