Tensions are rising in Maharashtra as three Mumbai-based lawyers have called for strict legal action — including charges under the National Security Act (NSA) — against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) following a wave of violent incidents targeting non-Marathi speakers.
In a letter to the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), advocates Pankaj Mishra, Nityanand Sharma, and Ashish Rai accused the MNS of inciting violence through hate-filled speeches and orchestrated assaults, all stemming from a July 5 rally in Worli where MNS chief Raj Thackeray allegedly delivered inflammatory remarks.
The lawyers allege that Thackeray’s comments directly triggered a series of attacks on shopkeepers and citizens who do not speak Marathi. “These acts are not only unlawful but a serious threat to social harmony and national unity,” the letter stated.
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The letter paints a grim picture of recent events — including an attack on a sweet shop owner and vandalism at the office of Mumbai-based share market investor Sushil Kedia, who had publicly refused to speak Marathi and challenged Raj Thackeray.
According to the lawyers, MNS workers have engaged in intimidation, public humiliation, and physical violence, all aimed at forcing the use of the Marathi language, creating fear among linguistic minorities in the state.
They are now urging the police to investigate MNS leaders and activists, even those under police protection, and prosecute them for promoting communal discord and violating constitutional rights.
The demand comes in the wake of a controversial public show of unity between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, who jointly spoke out against the perceived "imposition" of Hindi in Maharashtra, following a rollback of government rules mandating Hindi in primary schools.
As communal language tensions grow, the lawyers warn that MNS’s actions could spark unrest not just in Maharashtra but across India if left unchecked.
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