“Law Will Take Its Course”: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Responds to Raj Thackeray’s “Slap” Remark on Marathi Language Enforcement

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday addressed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s statement, in which he asserted that his party would not hesitate to “slap” people who refuse to speak Marathi in the state.

Reacting to Thackeray’s remarks, Fadnavis said that while the demand for using Marathi in Maharashtra was justified, taking the law into one’s own hands would not be tolerated. “I tell you clearly, it is not wrong to demand the use of Marathi in Maharashtra. The government also wants Marathi to be used as much as possible. However, if someone takes the law into their own hands, then the law will take its course,” Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai.

Raj Thackeray made the controversial remark while addressing MNS workers at the party’s annual Gudhi Padwa rally at Shivaji Park on Sunday. “In our Mumbai, they tell us that they cannot speak Marathi… they will get a slap on the face. Don’t tell me about the country and all. Every state has its own language, and it must be respected. In Mumbai, Marathi should be respected,” Thackeray said, urging his party workers to ensure compliance.

He further instructed MNS workers to inspect banks and establishments to check whether Marathi was being used. “From tomorrow, check every bank, every establishment. Check whether Marathi is being used. All of you should stand firmly for Marathi,” he added.

Amid this heightened rhetoric, Mumbai’s Powai police booked three MNS workers on Tuesday for allegedly slapping a 40-year-old watchman for not speaking in Marathi. A video of the incident, which took place around 8:30 PM on Monday, later went viral on social media, sparking widespread debate on language politics in the state.

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