Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers in Lonavala, Maharashtra allegedly assaulted a bank employee for not using Marathi in daily business transactions. The incident occurred as part of MNS’s drive to enforce the use of Marathi, the state’s official language, in government and private establishments.
According to an India Today report, The Raj Thackeray-led party workers visited a branch of Maharashtra Bank in Lonavala and submitted their demand to the branch manager, insisting that all employees must speak and use Marathi from the following day.
During the discussion, a Marathi-speaking employee intervened, arguing that customer service was not affected by the use of Hindi. This statement angered the MNS workers, who then allegedly assaulted him and threw him out of the manager’s cabin.
The party claims that although Maharashtra Bank is a nationalised bank, 99% of its customers are Maharashtrian, including elderly people and rural customers who may not understand Hindi properly. They also cited a Maharashtra government rule requiring the use of Marathi in public and government establishments, which they claim has not been fully implemented.
MNS workers thrashed a security guard
On April 2, 2025, MNS workers were recorded thrashing a security guard in Mumbai for not conversing in Marathi. The video showed the guard with folded hands as workers slapped him, demanding he speak in Marathi. On March 26, 2025, MNS workers assaulted a D-Mart employee in Versova, Andheri (West), Mumbai, for refusing to speak in Marathi. The employee was recorded saying, "I will not speak in Marathi, I will speak only in Hindi." MNS members slapped him, and he later apologized.
MNS will deal in its own style - Raj Thackeray
At the MNS’s Gudi Padwa rally on March 30, 2025, at Shivaji Park, Raj Thackeray stated, “Marathi must be used in daily interactions,” warning, “MNS will deal in its own style with anyone disrespecting Marathi.”
