Maharashtra: Migrant auto driver beaten by the Uddhav Sena and MNS goons in Palghar days after “main Hindi bolunga” remark in viral video
Another case of violence over linguistic politics came to light from Virar, Palghar district, Maharashtra. A migrant auto-rickshaw driver was brutally beaten in full public display by the supporters of Uddhav Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after a prior confrontation video over the use of the Marathi language had gone viral on social media.
The incident stems from an earlier confrontation, between Bhavesh Padolia, a migrant from Uttar Pradesh, and an auto-rickshaw driver who is also a migrant, at Virar station. In a video, the driver is saying “Main Hindi Bolunga” (“I will speak Hindi”) when asked about not speaking Marathi in public. According to Mr. Padolia, he just asked the driver why he was not speaking Marathi, to which he answered that he would rather speak in Hindi and Bhojpuri.
On Saturday (12 July 2025), near Virar railway station, the rickshaw driver was tracked down and confronted by the members of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS. Visuals from the scene show that the driver was slapped multiple times, including by women members of the groups. After the physical assault, the driver was forced to apologise to Padolia, his sister, and the people of Maharashtra, for what the attackers claimed was an insult to the Marathi language and cultural icons.
Uday Jadhav, the Virar city chief of Shiv Sena (UBT) who was present at the scene during the assault, defended the actions by saying “If anyone dares to insult the Marathi language, Maharashtra, or Marathi people, they will get a reply in the true Shiv Sena style. We will not sit silent”. He also said, “The driver had the audacity to speak ill of Maharashtra and Marathi manoos. He was taught a befitting lesson. We made him apologise to the people of the state and to those he had offended”.
No police case registered
Despite the public nature of the assault and the video circulating widely on social media, the Palghar district police has not registered any complaint yet. Police officials told news agency PTI. “We have seen the viral video and are verifying the facts, but as of now, no complaint has been received from either party”.
Tensions over the language issue have spilled
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks motivated by linguistic politics in Maharashtra. On 1st July, in Bhayander, Thane district. MNS members assaulted a food vender for not speaking in Marathi. After widespread critrisism, Seven MNS workes were later got arrested.
In Mira Road, Mumbai, the owner of the Jodhpur Sweet Shop, Babulal Choudhary was slapped and threatened by seven MNS workers. His employee, Bagharam, a resident of Rajasthan, spoke to the MNS workers in Hindi. The MNS workers demanded that both Choudhary and Bagharam speak in Marathi. However, Choudhary reportedly said that all languages are spoken in the state. The MNS workers allegedly assaulted them and also made a video of the incident.
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