‘Don't record video while beating': Complaint against Raj Thackeray for hate speech; remark sparks outrage
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
(MNS) chief
Raj Thackeray
over his controversial remark during a recent public address.
The complaint seeks action under the National Security Act (NSA) against the MNS chief, citing his controversial comments as promoting vigilantism and social unrest.
In his speech, Raj Thackeray said that while everyone residing in Maharashtra, including Gujaratis, should know Marathi, there was no justification for assaulting those who didn't speak the language.
You Can Also Check:
Mumbai AQI
|
Weather in Mumbai
|
Bank Holidays in Mumbai
|
Public Holidays in Mumbai
However, he added that if someone creates unnecessary drama over the issue, they deserved to be physically struck.
While speaking on the importance of Marathi language, Thackeray said, 'Be it Gujarati or anyone else here, must know Marathi, but there is no need to beat people for that if they don't speak Marathi.
But if someone shows useless drama, you must hit below their eardrums.'
What drew further criticism was his follow-up remark discouraging the documentation of violence:
'I tell you one more thing: if you beat someone, don't make a video of the incident. Let the person beaten up tell that he has been beaten up, you don't need to tell everyone that you have beaten someone.'
The remarks have triggered backlash from political leaders, civil society groups, and social media users, who accused Thackeray of promoting hate and trying to encourage violence while avoiding accountability.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Reunion or reunification?
The show of strength and unity between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on July 5 has rekindled hopes of their reunification among the cadre of their respective parties — the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The estranged cousins, who had not shared a dais for nearly two decades, came together to address a joint 'victory rally' in Mumbai. They celebrated the government's rollback of two orders making Hindi the third language in primary schools in Maharashtra. The government's revocation is being perceived as a victory for the 'Marathi manoos'. However, the big question remains: will the two cousins reunite on the political front as brand Thackeray at a time when regional parties feel threatened by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)? And if they do, what will that mean for the politics of Maharashtra, especially for Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who leads the Shiv Sena? Mr. Uddhav Thackeray's party continues to face an exodus after the split of the Shiv Sena in 2022. The former Chief Minister has publicly expressed his desire for a political reunification with his cousin. However, Mr. Raj Thackeray has maintained a stoic silence and has asked his party leadership to resist from expressing their opinions on the matter. The suspense, ahead of the crucial Mumbai municipal corporation elections, continues. In April, the Maharashtra government introduced a three-language policy in primary education; it issued another order in June. These were largely perceived as an attempt to impose Hindi on the State. What began as an agitation against this policy has turned into a window of opportunity for the reunification of the Thackeray cousins. Mr. Uddhav Thackeray and Mr. Raj Thackeray's parties had publicly split 19 years ago. The two leaders have since led separate regional parties. When they came together at the joint victory rally at Mumbai's NSCI Dome on July 5, cadre from both parties watched with excitement. For them, it seemed like a step towards a long-cherished dream of seeing the cousins together again. Their hopes went up further when Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, amid loud cheers, said, 'We have come together to stay together.' This led to speculation that the two parties will come together for the local body elections. The Shiv Sena (UBT), which is struggling to keep its flock together, is anxious that fence-sitters may ditch it before the municipal elections. The Sena has traditionally controlled Mumbai's civic body, which is the richest corporation in the country. The diminished strength of the Shiv Sena (UBT) after Mr. Shinde's exit, the changed demography of the island city, and continuing exodus from the party are some of Mr. Uddhav Thackeray's key concerns. Mr. Raj Thackeray has his own set of woes. He has been leading a regional party with limited electoral gains so far. As he frequently changes his political stance, the public perceives him as unpredictable, which has not helped his cause. Mr. Shinde's party is hoping that the cousins will not patch up. Mr. Shinde has kept the communication window with Mr. Raj Thackeray open to the extent that his party cadre do not attack the MNS even as they relentlessly target Mr. Uddhav Thackeray. The BJP is aware that Mr. Shinde will suffer a body blow if the Thackeray cousins come together. Leaders of both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS claim that the move could be a game-changer and could impact the BJP negatively as well. So far, Mr. Raj Thackeray and Mr. Uddhav Thackeray have been fighting separately on Hindutva-related issues and Marathi pride. Amid the BJP's Hindutva appeal, the Thackeray cousins have stood for regional chauvinism. 'We are Hindus, not Hindis,' Raj Thackeray said, as a pitch against the 'Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan' plank of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He has warned against national integration through homogenisation and has batted for a separate cultural and linguistic identity for Maharashtra. At the same time, Mr. Raj Thackeray has categorically stated that he came together with his cousin only for the cause of Marathi. MNS leaders say the show of strength is limited only to that issue, and that Mr. Raj Thackeray has not yet made up his mind on whether it should translate into something more. Political pundits say that if the cousins reunite and assert their political capital, they will both stand to gain.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Stakes go beyond bypoll in Tarn Taran for NSA detainee MP Amritpal's party; ; Waris Punjab De's candidate search getting tough after Khalra widow rejects offer
Tarn Taran: For NSA detainee and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh 's father, Tarsem Singh, his party's interest in contesting the Tarn Taran assembly seat bypoll is both symbolic and strategic. "Bhai Amritpal's followers want his party to contest to express support for him and his cause," he says. The seat, left vacant after the death of AAP MLA Dr Kashmir Singh Sohal, has emerged as a critical political test for Tarsem — not just for votes, but for sentiment. Amritpal, lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail under the National Security Act (NSA), had secured a surprise victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib despite being incarcerated. One of the nine assembly segments under the Khadoor Sahib constituency is Tarn Taran, where Amritpal received 44,703 votes in 2024. The math, Tarsem believes, favours Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De). In the 2022 assembly elections, Dr Sohal had won by getting around 52,000 votes. But numbers are only part of the equation. For 'Team Amritpal', the bypoll is about maintaining symbolic momentum. The panthic image cultivated by Amritpal — with clear echoes of the slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale — is central to his appeal. Amritpal came to prominence in Sep 2022, controversially taking charge of Waris Punjab De, a group founded by the late actor-activist Deep Sidhu. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Providers are furious: Internet access without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo His hardline image, vocal support for Khalistan, and a campaign urging youth to reject drugs and modern vices earned him mass attention and state scrutiny. The breaking point came in Feb 2023, when he and his supporters carried the Guru Granth Sahib — considered the living Guru in Sikhism — to Ajnala police station in Amritsar to free an aide. This act, seen by many as sacrilegious, triggered a statewide crackdown. After evading arrest for 35 days, he was captured in Rode — the same village Bhindranwale hailed from — and subsequently jailed in Assam. Yet, in 2024, his Lok Sabha win was widely interpreted as a public rebuke of the govt's crackdown. Keeping Amritpal's panthic image in mind, Waris Punjab De initially approached Paramjit Kaur Khalra, widow of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, to contest the bypoll, but she declined. Focus then shifted to Satwant Kaur, who is part of the five-member committee opposing Sukhbir Badal's hold on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Waris Punjab De is banking on its panthic image in the bypoll. Tarn Taran's tilet for panthic candidates is visible in the last five assembly elections. The seat elected Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) Harmeet Singh Sandhu in 2002, 2007 and 2012. In the last two elections, he lost, but was a close second, as he got 45,156 votes in 2017 and 39,347 in 2022. AAP, for its part, is banking on governance and development. Party spokesperson Shashivir Sharma said, "We have our work to show for it. Our high command will present a strong and dedicated candidate focused on the development of Tarn Taran. What other parties do is their own business." While the date of the bypoll is yet to be announced, Khalsa University vice-chancellor Mehal Singh remarked that development and drug eradication would likely outweigh identity politics. "There was a time when people voted for Amritpal, but that may not be repeated," he said.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
'Chaddi Banian' slur rocks Maharashtra Assembly
Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane and Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Aaditya Thackeray engaged in a verbal tussle in the Maharashtra assembly on Monday after the latter used the term "chhadi banian" gang in a veiled reference to Rane's colleagues Sanjay Gaikwad and Sanjay Shirsat. A recent video showed Buldhana Shiv Sena MLA Gaikwad, clad in a vest and towel, punching a canteen staffer after accusing him of serving stale dal, while minister Sanjay Shirsat was seen in a clip resting on a bed close to a bag that Thackeray's party claimed contained bundles of currency notes. Speaking in the assembly, Worli MLA Thackeray said he sympathises with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis since the latter has to deal with his "chhadi banian gang" allies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo "They do whatever they want to because to do not have fear," Thackeray said. In response, Kudal MLA Nilesh Rane, part of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, dared Thackeray to take names of those he referred to as "chhadi banian gang". Live Events "How can one make such comments just to for the sake of criticising. If you have guts take names," Rane said while demanding that Thackeray's remarks be expunged from the proceedings.
