'His entire politics is built on...': Netizens irate after MNS goons beat up shopkeeper in Mira Road for not speaking in Marathi

A shopkeeper in Mumbai's Mira Road was allegedly beaten up by the workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Saturday after he refused to speak in Marathi. As per a viral video of the incident, three men entered a sweets shop and confronted the owner over his language. 

When he was questioned about not using Marathi, the sweet shop owner said that he did not know speaking in Marathi was compulsory and that someone will have to teach him. Hearing this, one of the men warned him: "Maar khayega?" 

Two men slapped the shopkeeper after he said all languages are spoken in the state. One struck him repeatedly as he struggled to respond, while another abused and warned him he wouldn't be allowed to run a business in the area.

Soon after the video of MNS goons beating the sweet shop owner went viral, social media users condemned the regional party and its president Raj Thackeray for the incident. 

A user said that the only way Raj Thackeray and MNS manage to get some attention is by beating up migrants for not speaking Marathi. 

"The only way Raj Thackeray and his MNS party manage to seek attention is by assaulting migrants for not speaking Marathi. You will never see him or his party raise any meaningful issue that genuinely concerns the Marathi people. His entire politics is built on gundagardi. Yet, people like him are still welcomed with open arms at every major function in the state, from Ambani to Tendulkar, no one even attempts to maintain distance from him. This is exactly what legitimizes and validates his gundagardi," the user wrote. 

While sharing a video of him speaking in Marathi, political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla said that "Raj Thackeray and his goons have no right to bring mobs and beat up people". 

Replying to Poonawalla's post, a user said that all this is being done so that MNS can grab eyeballs before the BMC polls. "It's not 'zaroori'! Raj Thackeray just sending his goons to grab some eyeballs before BMC elections! Pure nuisance value!" 

A user named Sunaina Holey called out the MNS chief for allegedly sending a bunch of goons to harass non-Marathi people living in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune. 

Meanwhile, the Kashimira Police have filed an FIR against seven MNS workers under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of spreading unrest.

MNS leader Santosh Rane justified the act, insisting that only Marathi should be used in Maharashtra, regardless of community. The Raj Thackeray-led MNS has strongly opposed the policy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later announced a review of the policy through a new committee.