Maharashtra minister's shocker! BJP's Ashish Shelar compares MNS assault over language with Pahalgam terror attack
According to a PTI report, he said that while terrorists had targeted tourists in Pahalgam based on their religion, people were being attacked in the state on linguistic lines, which was disappointing.
Asked about attacks on Hindi-speaking people allegedly by MNS workers, Shelar said, "In the Pahalgam terror attack, people were asked their religion before being shot. Here, people are being attacked based on their language. It is disappointing."
'All these incidents cause pain, suffering, and mental distress…Such cases create a disturbance,' Shelar was quoted as saying by ANI. The state is watching how these leaders are "enjoying" other Hindus being beaten up, the minister said without naming anyone.
BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane had objected to 'Hindus' being targeted for not speaking in Marathi, while his cabinet colleague Pratap Sarnaik, a leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said the MNS does not have a monopoly over Marathi.
A viral video recently showed workers of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) last week thrashing a shop-keeper in Bhayandar area on the outskirts of the state capital for allegedly refusing to speak in Marathi.
Seven members of the MNS were later detained and allowed to go after the police served notices on them, the report said.
On Saturday, five MNS supporters were arrested for the attack on investor Sushil Kedia's office in Worli area of Mumbai over the latter's social media post about not learning Marathi and his 'kya karna hai bol' dare to Raj Thackeray.
Hours after the attack, Kedia apologised for the social post claiming he had overreacted and also professed admiration for Thackeray.
On Friday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis warned of strict legal action against those engaging in "hooliganism" in the name of Marathi. He said that the Mahayuti government will not tolerate violence against commoners.
Although the Maharashtra government withdrew its April 16 orders on the implementation of the three-language policy that made Hindi a "mandatory" third language for school students in Classes 1 to 5 studying in English and Marathi medium schools, the political controversy over the same has brought together long-time estranged Thackeray cousins after nearly two decades.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday shared the stage together at the Worli Dome in Mumbai as they held a joint rally in protest against the "Hindi imposition".
(With inputs from agencies)
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