Latest news with #non-Maharashtrian
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Complaint filed against MNS chief Raj Thackeray for 'provocative' remarks
A complaint was filed on Monday (July 14, 2025) against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for his comments made during a speech at the NSCI Dome on July 5. Nephew of Bal Thackeray, Mr. Raj, allegedly said that if people from other States are beaten, they should be beaten, but no videos should be made. A written complaint was filed by three lawyers, Pankajkumar Mishra, Nityanand Sharma and Ashish Rai to the authorities to investigate the statements made in the speech. The lawyers asked authorities to take legal action against Mr. Raj so that 'public peace' is not disturbed. 'On July 5, 2025, Raj Thackeray made hateful and provocative statements in a public meeting. During his speech, the instructions 'Do not make any video as evidence of any such incident' is clearly aiding and abetting a serious and premeditated crime and also the intention to destroy or conceal evidence is clear, which is a crime under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC),' mentioned the letter. Marathi-Hindi debate has taken centre stage in Maharashtra, with multiple instances of violence, including the recent incident of Mira-Bhayandar, in which a non-Maharashtrian was slapped for not speaking Marathi, and the MNS was not allowed to protest. Several other incidents were reported in Virar and Palghar. The lawyers also highlighted that the MNS has subjected citizens from other states to language-related atrocities, beatings and public humiliation, which is 'unconstitutional' and disrupts 'social harmony'. The complaint also asked authorities to probe the incidents of attacks by MNS workers and demanded that the suspects be booked.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Indian Express
Virar autorickshaw driver allegedly thrashed by Sena (UBT) workers, days after his ‘Marathi nahi bolunga' video goes viral
An autorickshaw driver in Virar town near Mumbai was assaulted and made to apologise allegedly by Shiv Sena (UBT) workers on Saturday, days after a video surfaced showing him refusing to speak in Marathi. The video, which went viral earlier this week, shows the autorickshaw driver saying in Hindi, 'Hindi bolunga, Bhojpuri bolunga, par Marathi nahi bolunga (I'll speak Hindi. I'll speak Bhojpuri, but not Marathi).' He can also be heard telling a passenger, 'Main Hindi bolunga, tujhe kya karna hai? Jo karna hai kar le (I'll speak in Hindi—what will you do about it? Do whatever you want to do).' As the video of the autorickshaw driver went viral on social media, a group of alleged Sena (UBT) workers confronted him near the Virar railway station on Saturday. It was also alleged that the autorickshaw driver, a migrant, had earlier made derogatory remarks about the Marathi language, Maharashtra, and Marathi icons. Its video had also gone viral online, drawing sharp reactions, including from local political groups. The group of people who thrashed the autorickshaw driver also forced him to say, with his hands folded, 'I apologise to the people of Maharashtra for insulting Marathi.' In a video, the autorickshaw driver is seen being slapped by a group of people, including women, on a busy road near the Virar railway station. No formal complaint has been registered with the police. However, the incident has reignited debates over linguistic identity, migrant integration, and vigilantism. This is not the first case of assault on a non-Maharashtrian for not speaking Marathi. On June 29, a shopkeeper named Babulal Chaudhary was assaulted by a group of workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in neighbouring Mira Road town. The incident has sparked nationwide outrage with non-Marathi speakers as well as MNS and Sena (UBT) workers protesting in the area.
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Return of the native
Estranged Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, came together at a rally in Mumbai on Saturday that was organised to celebrate the Opposition's successful pushback against the Mahayuti government's attempt to introduce Hindi in primary classes in Maharashtra and promised to revive the nativist political plank on which Bal Thackeray had founded the Shiv Sena in 1966. While Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) hinted at an alliance with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the upcoming local bodies election in the state, the latter was silent on the matter. The leadership of the BJP-led Mahayuti described Uddhav Thackeray as 'greedy for power' but spared Raj Thackeray of any criticism, suggesting that the political churn in the state is not yet over. A Thackeray reunion could influence politics in Maharashtra in multiple ways. One, it can reshape the political ground in Mumbai and other urban pockets such as Nashik and Thane, where the Shiv Sena has historically held sway. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is facing an existential crisis after the Eknath Shinde faction (now recognised as the Shiv Sena) did well in the last assembly polls and won over most of the second-rung leaders. Two, a common front of Sena (UBT) and MNS on an aggressive platform of native identity can complicate equations within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA): The Congress, the largest constituent of MVA, has already expressed reservations about the MNS, and its senior leaders were not present at the Saturday rally. This is not surprising since endorsement of nativist politics, which has expressed itself as violence against migrants in the past few days, can be counterproductive, especially in Bihar, where assembly elections are due later this year. Politically, three strands are likely to be in play in the short term in Maharashtra. One, the Hindutva politics of the BJP; two, the nativist politics of the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS; and three, a broad secular bloc under the Congress and the NCP. The big question is if the nativist agenda can counter the appeal of Hindutva, which, the assembly election results suggest, has pan-state support in Maharashtra. Aggressive mobilisation over language and identity has limited electoral traction now — it could not help the Shiv Sena win Maharashtra (except in alliance with the BJP) even in the heyday of Bal Thackeray. It can potentially polarise the vote, but the demography of a city such as Mumbai is such that a pro-Marathi agenda may result in a counter-polarisation of non-Maharashtrian voters, who are as significant a constituency as the Marathi voters (and traditional supporters of the BJP, mostly). But for the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, the immediate consideration is to reclaim the legacy of Bal Thackeray and establish primacy at least in the resource-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The Saturday rally was the first step towards that goal.
Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Shabana Azmi was denied a flat because of her faith, Javed Akhtar reflects on bitterness of Partition: ‘Apne girebaan mein jhaanko'
In a candid conversation with The Lallantop, veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar recounted an incident from about 20–25 years ago, when his wife, actor Shabana Azmi, was denied the opportunity to purchase a flat simply because of her religion. He narrated the entire incident: 'This happened about 20–25 years ago. Shabana wanted to buy a flat as an investment in a building, and they refused. The broker clearly told us they wouldn't sell a flat to a Muslim.' Javed then reflected on the deeper reasons why such discrimination is so common: 'Who were these people? They were the ones whose parents lived in Sindh, who were expelled from Sindh, taking away their land, property, social respect, profession, everything. They were forced out and made to come here like refugees. These very Sindhis sold clothes and chhole on the streets, and through their hard work built their position. But the bitterness of what happened to them is still inside them. And that bitterness gets taken out on us. So who is responsible? You are, you who expelled them. And now you tell me they didn't give me a house? They didn't give it because you drove them from their own house. People have no idea what the real problem is.' Also Read | Javed Akhtar on Bollywood's silence over Operation Sindoor: 'Kuch log abhi abhi paisa aur naam kamane mein lage hain…' He continued: 'I ask myself, I live in Bombay, a non-Maharashtrian who came here at 19. I worked hard, made a name for myself, I got a house. But if tomorrow someone told me to leave everything in 24 hours, carrying all my belongings in a bundle, I ask, where would I go? Anywhere! If I had to leave my house, my reputation, my money, my status, my friends behind, and see my companions killed on the way, and finally be put in a tent and handed a plate, how would I feel? Toh yeh aadmi jisne tumko ghar nahi diya, usse blame kar rahi ho? Apne girebaan mein jhaanko (And now you blame the man who didn't give you a house? Look into your own conscience)' He shared this story in response to Pakistani actress Bushra Ansari's claim that 'no one in Mumbai rents homes to Muslims.' Before narrating the incident, Akhtar laughed and sarcastically said, 'Yes, of course! Shabana and I are sleeping on the streets now.' He strongly questioned who had the authority to silence him: 'Who is she to tell me when to talk and when not to? She said Naseeruddin Shah stays quiet, so I should too. But who is she to decide when I should speak? Who gave her that right?' He acknowledged the internal issues within India but refused to stay silent when criticism comes from outside: 'Yes, we Indians do have our internal issues. But when someone from outside points fingers, I am first and foremost an Indian. I won't stay silent.'
