'Marathi Ko Maharashtra Mein..': Marwari Shopkeeper In Mumbai's Vikhroli Posts 'Objectionable' WhatsApp Status; Apologises On Camera After Facing MNS Action

Mumbai: A local businessman was beaten up by MNS workers on Wednesday after he allegedly posted a provocative WhatsApp status insulting the Marathi community in Vikhroli’s Tagore Nagar. The message read: “See the power of a Rajasthani. Beat the Marathi in Maharashtra itself. We are Marwaris, nobody can stand before us.” This statement enraged MNS workers who confronted the businessman at his shop, assaulted him and made him apologise publicly.

तुम्ही इथे येऊन अशी भाषा वापराल तर तुम्हाला त्याच भाषेत उत्तर मिळणार. तुला कोलला ! pic.twitter.com/xSGFk201Ts

— MNS Videos (@mnsvideos) July 16, 2025

Viral Video Shows Shopkeeper Apologising Over Objectionable Status

A widely circulated video shows the shopkeeper pleading with folded hands, apologising to the Marathi community, and promising not to repeat the mistake. He was reportedly paraded through the local market before being taken to the police station. MNS division chief Vishwajit Dholam urged people not to shop at stores run by those who insult Marathi identity. A formal police complaint has been filed regarding the incident.

Virar Rickshaw Driver Assaulted Over Refusing To Speak Marathi

Meanwhile, in another case in Vasai, autorickshaw driver Raju Patwa from Uttar Pradesh faced public assault by members of both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS. The incident took place on July 12 near Virar railway station.

Patwa had allegedly misbehaved with a woman and assaulted her brother Bhavesh Padoliya. However, the tipping point was a viral video in which he said, “I will speak Hindi, I will speak Bhojpuri, but I will not speak Marathi.”

Is this how we protect a language — with violence and fear? In Maharashtra's Virar, an auto-rickshaw driver was allegedly assaulted by Shiv Sena (UBT) workers for reportedly disrespecting the Marathi language.#LanguageNotViolence#MarathiManusOrMob#VirarAssault#latestUpdates pic.twitter.com/Z4F9hxmlZN

— TNAHSIN UPDATE (@tnahsinupdate) July 13, 2025

Angered by the remark, a group of political workers, including women, confronted Patwa in public, slapped him multiple times, and forced him to apologize on camera. In the video, he is seen with folded hands, apologizing to Padoliya, his sister, and the people of Maharashtra for his language and behaviour.

Virar, Maharashtra: Senior Police Inspector of Virar Police Station, Lalu Ture says, "The issue began over a conversation between people from Marathi and non-Marathi communities. The rickshaw driver, identified as Raju Patwa, reportedly told a passenger, ‘I won’t speak in… pic.twitter.com/xAV1mQps3A

— IANS (@ians_india) July 14, 2025

Following this, Virar Police registered a case against the involved workers under sections related to unlawful assembly, breach of public peace, and rioting.

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