Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has drawn widespread attention after defending his party workers involved in recent assaults against individuals accused of holding "anti-Marathi" views. On Friday, Thackeray posted on X, expressing pride in what he called the "befitting response" of his supporters, whom he referred to as "soldiers," attributing their actions to a deep-seated "love" for the Marathi language and community. His comments followed political turmoil over a clash between supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) inside Mumbai’s Vidhan Bhavan. Thackeray questioned the lack of similar outrage over ongoing incidents which, he claimed, insult the Marathi language.
These remarks came after a widely circulated video surfaced showing MNS workers physically assaulting a shopkeeper in Mumbai’s Vikhroli area, where they forced him to publicly apologise for a WhatsApp status considered offensive to the Marathi-speaking community. Thackeray stated, "When someone tries to drive a nail into the throat of the Marathi people, I feel proud that my soldiers of Maharashtra slap that person, not out of personal jealousy, but for my language and my Marathi people." He cited previous examples, including an incident inside the state assembly in 2009, where MNS MLAs attacked a colleague for taking an oath in Hindi, claiming it was about defending Marathi pride and not personal animosity.
The spate of recent assaults attributed to MNS workers has sparked criticism and concern, with last week seeing a migrant auto-rickshaw driver attacked in Palghar and a street food vendor slapped in Thane for refusing to speak Marathi. These actions, coupled with Thackeray's unapologetic stance, underscore rising language politics in Maharashtra. Addressing the brawl inside Vidhan Bhavan, he challenged the government to act against its own supporters: "If you don't want to do that, no problem, but don't teach us common sense when my Maharashtra soldiers will try to set the Marathi opponents straight," he said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the violence in the legislature, calling for strict action against those responsible and urging that such incidents do not befit the dignity of the assembly. As language-related confrontations escalate, Thackeray has also moved to tightly control party communications, barring MNS leaders from independent media interactions or unauthorized social media statements, in an effort to contain further escalation.