’Only play Marathi songs’: MNS workers thrash shopkeeper in Navi Mumbai for not speaking in Marathi

The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers thrashed a migrant shopkeeper in Navi Mumbai for not speaking in Marathi language.

The video of the incident, which took place on June 20, in a shop located at sector-3 of Airoli in Navi Mumbai, has gone viral on social media platforms.

The MNS workers thrashed the shopkeeper for not speaking in Marathi language as well as not heeding to a request to play Marathi song.

In a video, posted by News18 Lokmat, the party workers can be seen repeatedly slapping the shopkeeper while asking him if he won't speak in Marathi.

“You stay in Maharashtra and you don't know Marathi,” asked one of the workers as they continue to slap the shopkeeper, despite him apologising. 

Another party worker was heard asking him to play Marathi songs whenever he is asked to do so.

“Marathi songs has to be played daily. Don't act smartly, else will shut the shop,” said one of the workers.

Another person from the shop, who speaks Marathi, tried to defend the migrant worker, but he was also lambasted by the MNS men.

However, this is not the first time such incident has taken place.

In 2022, a manager and staff of a hotel in Vashi were thrashed by the MNS workers for delaying in playing Marathi songs.

Previously, on several occasions, the partymen had vandalised the name plates of shops for not writing them in Marathi.