Sena (UBT) workers assault auto driver over ‘anti-Marathi’ remarks
A video showing an auto-rickshaw driver being assaulted, allegedly by Shiv Sena (UBT) workers in Virar, Maharashtra, for making ‘anti-Marathi’ remarks has gone viral on social media, fuelling further controversy over the language issue in the state.
The police said on Sunday they had seen the viral clip but had not received any formal complaint and thus no case has been registered yet.
A local functionary of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed the driver was “taught a befitting lesson”, asserting that anyone insulting the Marathi language or Maharashtra would receive a response in “true Shiv Sena style”.
The driver, originally from Uttar Pradesh, had allegedly made derogatory remarks against the Marathi language, the state and Marathi icons. A clip of those remarks surfaced online earlier, drawing widespread condemnation online and from local political groups.
Sources said the remarks stemmed from an altercation four days ago between the driver and a scooter rider over overtaking. When the scooter rider asked him to speak in Marathi, the driver allegedly refused, stating he would only speak in Hindi or Bhojpuri.
Bystanders reportedly recorded the incident. In the more recent video, filmed on Saturday, the driver is seen being slapped by a group of Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, including women, on a busy road near Virar railway station. He is then made to publicly apologise to a man and his sister—whom he had allegedly misbehaved with earlier—as well as to the state for “insulting” its linguistic and cultural heritage.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Virar city chief Uday Jadhav, who was present during the confrontation, later defended the actions of the party workers. “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,” Jadhav told reporters.
“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,” he added.
A senior police official confirmed that the incident took place on Saturday. “We have seen the viral video and are verifying the facts, but as of now, no complaint has been received from either party,” the official said.
The Hindi-Marathi language row has intensified in recent weeks, particularly in the Mumbai metropolitan region, following backlash over two Government Resolutions (GRs) promoting the three-language policy in schools and mandating Hindi from Class I. The resolutions were later withdrawn by the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.
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