BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane has lashed out at the latest attack on a restaurant owner in Mira Road by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers who allegedly assaulted him for not speaking Marathi.
In a hard-hitting attack on the MNS, Rane dared them to repeat such activities in areas dominated by Muslims like Null Bazar and Mohammed Ali Road in the metropolis.
The attack was carried out by three members of the MNS who can be witnessed in a viral clip slapping the restaurant owner repeatedly after having an argument with him over his language use. The clip has widened the rage and brought back into focus the controversy surrounding linguistic chauvinism in Maharashtra.
Locals stood up for the victim after the incident and demanded prosecution against the attackers. In protest, a few shops in the Mira Road locality were closed on Thursday, June 3.
Referring to the media, Rane asked people to question the intentions and guts of individuals who commit such attacks, hinting at a double standard when it comes to the selection of targets.
"Hindu ko maara gaya hai, itni himmat jaake Null Bazar aur Mohammed Ali Road pe jaake dikhao na. Woh gol topi aur daadhi wale kya Marathi me baat karte hai kya. Shuddh Marathi me baat karte hai kya. Unko kaan k neeche bajane ki himmat nahi h. Jave Akhtar kya Marathi me baat karta hai kya. Aamir Khan kya Marathi me gaata hai kya. Uske muh se Marathi nikaalne ki himmat nahi hai. Yeh gareeb Hindu ko kyu maarne ki himmat karte ho. Yeh sarkar Hindu ne bithaayi hai. Hindutva vichar ki sarkar hai. Isliye iss tarah ki koi bhi himmat karega toh hamaari sarkar bhi teesri aankh kholegi," Rane said.
(Translation: A Hindu has been slapped — such guts! Why don't you go and demonstrate that same guts in Null Bazar or Mohammed Ali Road? Do people who wear skullcaps and beards talk in Marathi? Do they talk pure Marathi? No one has guts to slap them. Does Javed Akhtar talk in Marathi? Does Aamir Khan sing in Marathi? No one has guts to make them talk Marathi. Then why do you have the guts to slap a poor Hindu? This government has been elected by Hindus. It is a Hindutva ideology-based government. So if anyone has the guts to do such acts, our government will also open its third eye.)
Rane's utterance has raised political debates, with some people interpreting it as the justification of linguistic freedom, whereas others are concerned about the communal tone in his comment.
The row still keeps the public engaged as questions related to language, identity, and political maneuvering overwhelm the discourse in Maharashtra. Legal action against the MNS workers involved is said to be in progress.
