The gaming zone employee's response angered the MNS leader so much that he slapped him.
Another day, another instance of assault by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers. However, this time around, it was not about language.
This time, they were seen inside a gaming zone in Kalyan in Thane district, 57 km from Mumbai, and MNS district president Ulhas Bhoir was seen threatening and slapping an employee in a video.
He was apparently upset that some school students were stealing money from their parents, skipping school and coming to play in the gaming zone.
Mr Bhoir asked the employee to come forward and said, "Boys come here in their school uniforms. They take money from home. They don't go to school. Isn't this wrong?"
"What can I do?" was the employee's response, which angered Mr Bhoir so much that he slapped him.
He kept shouting, "These children stole Rs 4,000 from their parents. Don't ruin this generation".
Then, pointing at a student, he said, "He used to get 95 per cent in Class 5. Now he gets 60 percent".
The MNS leader also issued a "first and last warning" that if children were seen in their uniforms in the gaming zone again, it would be demolished.
Mr Bhuir claimed that a few parents came to his office and complained that their children have been skipping school and going to the gaming zone. "These children also stole money from their parents to go to the gaming zone," he said.
"As soon as we heard the news, we came here. We have explained to them that if a student comes in their school uniform, do not let him in. This is the first and last warning," said Mr Bhuir.
MNS workers have been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. They have been aggressively demanding that those living in Maharashtra learn Marathi, and several incidents of attacks have been reported on people, especially North Indians, for alleged reluctance to speak Marathi.
On Thursday, the workers forcibly removed Gujarati signboards of several hotels along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Thane and Palghar districts, demanding Marathi signage.
The MNS had earlier launched an agitation against English signboards in Mumbai and Thane, pointing out that as per state regulations, it is mandatory for businesses operating in Maharashtra to display signboards in Marathi in prominent font, irrespective of any other language used.
Over the past few weeks, the MNS workers have also assaulted a few shopkeepers for failing to respond in Marathi.
