"Marathi Ko Mara?": How Phone Recharge Dispute Snowballed Into Marathi Row

An altercation over a phone recharge in Thane has snowballed into a Marathi vs non-Marathi row, and a leader of Uddhav Thackeray's party is drawing fire over a viral video in which some non-Marathis are seen apologising to a Marathi man as he slaps them across the face.

This comes at a time when the language row in Maharashtra is intensifying after some supporters of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena assaulted a shopkeeper for refusing to speak Marathi.

The Thane row started with a man visiting a shop to get his phone recharged on July 1. Kiran Tanaji Sawant, 43, asked the shop staff to recharge his cellphone, but the recharge did not happen due to a technical problem. Mr Sawant, the shopkeepers say, lost his cool and started creating a ruckus. This led to a scuffle between Mr Sawant and 4-5 staff members in the shop, leaving him injured.

Mr Sawant then approached the police and filed a complaint. A case was registered against Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections relating to causing hurt. Police detained four of the accused and released them after giving notice.

The matter then shifted to the office of former Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Rajan Vichare. A video that has now gone viral shows Mr Vichare hearing the matter from the shop staff. At one point, one of his aides stops a staff member from speaking and says, "Marathi mein bol, Marathi ko mara na? Marathi mein bol." The video then shows Kiran Sawant. One by one, those accused of assaulting him approach him and apologise with folded hands. They touch his feet. He responds by slapping them across the face.

The accused are asked to hold their ears, look at the camera and say that they have made a mistake and won't repeat it.

The video has sparked massive outrage amid the Marathi vs non-Marathi debate. While a section of politicians in Maharashtra stress that those living in the state for work must respect and learn the local language, others argue that no one can be forced to speak a language and urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to prevent any violence over the language row.