Thane Restaurant Owner Allegedly Threatens Marathis, Apologises After MNS Workers Show Up

A restaurant owner in Thane was threatened by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers over allegations that he used abusive language against the Marathi language.

A video of the incident that happened in Thane's Kalyan town has gone viral on social media.

In the video, the owner of the restaurant which serves south Indian dishes was seen surrounded by MNS workers who told him to speak in Marathi, and asked why he used abusive language on Marathi-speakers.

One of the MNS workers also grabbed the restaurant owner's collar.

Later, the hotel owner and two of the MNS workers including the one who grabbed his collar appeared in another video in which they made peace.

"I would like to tell Raj Thackeray and MNS that I have apologised," the hotel owner said, flanked by the two MNS workers.

One of the MNS workers then said they have no problem with anyone coming to make a living in Maharashtra.

"We have no opposition to any non-Marathi speaker. Even Raj Thackeray says whoever lives here, speaks Marathi and respects Marathi identity, we always treat them with respect," the MNS worker said.

"But this person lives here, does business here, and while speaking to someone, a video/audio clip has come to us in which he says, 'We will beat the Marathi man until he is red with blood.' For such wrong statements, he has already been made to understand," the MNS worker said.

"From now on, if such people speak wrongly about the Marathi language or about Marathi people, then we will show them their place," he added.

Despite the tension over the language row, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said there is no dispute between Marathi and Hindi-speaking communities and warned against those trying to stoke tensions.

Last month, the civic education department warned of action against schools in Thane if they violated norms and taught Hindi as a third language to primary students.

Thane City Education Officer Kamalakant Mhetre said Marathi teaching norm applies to schools affiliated with the Maharashtra board and not to CBSE-run schools.