Raj Thackeray during the reunion rally with Uddhav Thackeray issued a blunt directive to his party workers just days after his party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), landed in controversy for assaulting a restaurant owner for not speaking in Marathi. In a starkly blunt message to his party workers, Raj Thackeray said, “Beat, but don’t film it.”
Speaking in Marathi, Raj Thackeray said, “Be it a Gujarati or anyone else here, must know Marathi, but there is no need to beat people for that if they don’t speak Marathi. Yet, if someone does some drama, you must hit them below their eardrums.”
“If you beat someone, don’t make a video of the incident. Let the person beaten up tell that he has been beaten up; you don’t need to tell everyone,” Raj Thackeray added.
The MNS chief was apparently addressing criticism after his men slapped and intimidated people, including street vendors, over their not speaking in Marathi.
Marathi ‘Slapgate’ case
The MNS chief’s remarks comes days after some men wearing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) scarves, thrashed a food stall owner for not speaking Marathi in Thane’s Bhayander.
A video of the incident, which quickly went viral, showed that the MNS supporters slapped the shop owner several times after he was asked “Which language is spoken in the state”. The shop owner’s response, who was talking in Hindi, said “all languages,” which infuriated the men who had visited his shop to buy food, reported PTI.
Aditya Thackeray’s comments about Marathi ‘Slapgate’
Following the Marathi ‘Slapgate’ case, Aditya Thackeray claimed that the issue should not be viewed as a Marathi versus non-Marathi divide.
Aaditya Thackeray clarified that the issue stemmed from something as simple as not allowing someone to charge their phone.
‘Yes we are goons…’ says Uddhav Thackeray
Raj Thackeray’s assertion of ‘Marathi pride’ at the rally in Mumbai was followed by Uddhav Thackeray’s speech, echoing the same sentiments.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief also spoke in Marathi, stating:
“Yes, we are goons; if we have to be goons to get justice, we will do goondagiri.”
Raj Thackeray’s jibe at Devendra Fadnavis
At the much-hyped Mumbai rally, MNS Chief Raj Thackeray delivered a sharp, ironic jab — praising Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. Raj claimed Fadnavis managed to do what even Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray could not.
“Uddhav and I are coming together after 20 years… What Balasaheb Thackeray could not do that Devendra Fadnavis managed to do,” Raj Thackeray claimed at the massive event in Worli.
Uddhav Thackeray’s split with Raj Thackeray happened when Bal Thackeray was alive, as he preferred son Uddhav over nephew Raj to hand over the Shiv Sena reins.
Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray
The much discussed Thackeray reunion unfolded against the backdrop of ‘Marathi pride’ sparked by the BJP-led Maharashtra government’s move to introduce Hindi as a third language in schools – a decision that was later rolled back following intense backlash.
Initially announced as a protest against the original move, Raj and Uddhav Thackeray’s rally in Mumbai was converted to a celebration of the rollback.
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