MNS Workers Assault Mumbai Shopkeeper Over WhatsApp Status; 5 Men Arrested for ‘Insulting’ Marathi Language
MNS workers assaulted a Mumbai shopkeeper over a WhatsApp status allegedly insulting the Marathi language. Five men have been arrested as police investigate the politically charged incident
A group of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers Wednesday allegedly assaulted a shopkeeper in Mumbai’s Vikhroli area for posting a WhatsApp status that they claimed insulted the Marathi community and language.
A video of the incident went viral on social media Thursday and sparked outrage. According to sources, the shopkeeper, who hails from the Marwari community, had put up a status that some MNS workers interpreted as offensive towards Marathi-speaking people. The workers allegedly went to his shop, questioned him about the post, and beat him up after being dissatisfied with his response.
Video of the incident circulating on social media shows MNS functionaries, including party office-bearer Vishwajeet Dholam, confronting the man and later parading him through the locality.
The party workers have claimed that the man made “disrespectful remarks” about Marathi people through his status.
Speaking to the media, MNS leader Avinash Jadhav said, “We do not want to show our strength. But if someone comes to Maharashtra, earns their livelihood here, and then insults the Marathi language, the Marathi person will definitely react.”
No police complaint has been filed so far.
This was not the first instance when MNS workers allegedly targeted a man over the Marathi language. On June 29, a shopowner was allegedly assaulted by a group of MNS workers in Mumbai’s Mira Road.
Baboolal Khimaji Choudhary, a resident of Bhayander (East), told the police that seven unidentified men entered his shop and claimed that a proposal had been passed in the Maharashtra Assembly requiring all businesses to hire Marathi-speaking staff and operate in Marathi. He claimed that when he responded that all languages are spoken in the state, they became aggressive and started assaulting him.
The incident sparked nationwide outrage among non-Marathi speakers, as well as MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, who protested in the area. The police registered an FIR against seven people on the complaint of the shop owner.
The shopkeeper, identified as Riyaz Shaikh, who runs a small mobile accessories store near Ranade Road, was reportedly confronted by a group of five MNS workers who demanded that he delete the WhatsApp status. When he refused to comply immediately, the situation escalated into a physical assault inside his shop, witnessed by customers and nearby vendors.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants hurled verbal abuse and slapped Riyaz repeatedly, accusing him of disrespecting the “Asmita” (pride) of Maharashtra. Some reportedly recorded the incident and shared it on local social media pages, leading to widespread outrage.
Soon after the incident, the shopkeeper approached the Shivaji Park Police Station, where he filed a formal complaint. The Mumbai Police swung into action and arrested all five accused under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 34 (common intention).
Senior Inspector Suresh Patil, speaking to the media, said:
“We have taken swift action based on the victim’s complaint and video evidence. The five accused, all associated with MNS, have been arrested. An investigation is underway to verify the nature of the WhatsApp status that led to this confrontation.”
The police have also seized the mobile phones of both the complainant and the accused for further digital forensics to determine the content and intent behind the post.
While police have not yet officially disclosed the content of the WhatsApp status, sources suggest that it contained a forwarded meme or text perceived as derogatory toward the Marathi language or script, possibly implying that other languages like Hindi or English are more “modern” or “civilized.”
MNS workers claimed the post was part of a larger trend of disrespect towards Marathi culture and demanded that such “insults” be treated with zero tolerance. However, civil rights advocates and local residents argue that while sentiment is understandable, violence cannot be justified.
An MNS spokesperson, when contacted, did not deny the involvement of party workers but emphasized that “sentiments of the Marathi-speaking community must not be toyed with.” The party has long campaigned for the promotion and protection of the Marathi language in signage, education, and public life.
However, the spokesperson added that “the party does not support violence”, and any action by individual members that violates the law is “not condoned.”
The incident has sparked a wave of criticism on social media, where many netizens expressed concern over the increasing intolerance toward free speech and expression, particularly in the digital space.
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