Marathi row: 5 MNS workers held after post leads to attack on Kedia’s office; investor apologises

NEW DELHI: Mumbai capitalist Sushil Kedia’s bureau successful Worli was vandalised connected Saturday greeting by unidentified individuals allegedly linked to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), days aft helium publically challenged enactment main Raj Thackeray and declared helium would not larn Marathi.

The attackers raised slogans successful enactment of Thackeray and hurled stones astatine the office. Police person detained 5 MNS supporters successful transportation with the incidental and said information had already been deployed astatine the tract pursuing earlier threats to Kedia.What bash we cognize truthful far-The trigger: Kedia’s station against MarathiSushil Kedia, a long-time nonmigratory of Mumbai and laminitis of an concern work firm, had posted a provocative connection connected societal media level X connected July 3.

In it, helium declared: “I don’t cognize Marathi decently adjacent aft surviving for 30 years successful Mumbai & with your gross misconduct I person made it a resoluteness that until specified radical arsenic you are allowed to unreal to beryllium taking attraction of Marathi Manus I instrumentality pratigya I won’t larn Marathi.

Kya karna hai bol?”MNS reaction: ‘Stay successful your lane’The station drew a crisp effect from MNS person Sandeep Deshpande, who posted connected X: “Do concern if you're a businessman; don't effort to enactment similar our father.

If you insult Marathi successful Maharashtra, you'll get a slap connected the ear, otherwise, enactment successful your lane, Mehta oregon whoever. That's each for now.”Attack connected Saturday morningAccording to police, a radical of unidentified men showed up astatine Kedia’s bureau adjacent Century Bazar successful Worli connected Saturday greeting and began vandalising the premises. They shouted pro-Marathi slogans and praised Raj Thackeray. Stones were thrown astatine the office, though nary injuries were reported.

Five MNS supporters were aboriginal detained.

Kedia apologises aft vandalismHours aft the attack, Kedia posted a video connected X apologising to Raj Thackeray. The caption read: “I petition Raj Thackeray Ji to see my humble submission.”

Police extortion and nationalist appealEarlier successful the week, Kedia had approached constabulary aft receiving threats online. He tagged the Mumbai Police and different authorities, writing: “Shri @RajThackeray threatening maine by 100s of your workers is not going to marque maine a fluent Marathi speaker...

With truthful overmuch threatening astir adjacent much fearfulness happens that if I miss speaking immoderate word(s) improperly much unit volition happen.”“Please enactment @CPMumbaiPolice @Dev_Fadnavis unfastened threats of unit are being issued by @RajThackeray workers. Provide maine safety. Is an Indian having immoderate rights to dignity & information successful Maharashtra contiguous is simply a question adjacent our @HMOIndia @AmitShah ji mightiness ponder connected arsenic well.”Wider context: Mira Road incidentThe occurrence comes connected the heels of different contention involving MNS. In Mira Road, a saccharine store proprietor was precocious beaten by 7 MNS workers for not speaking Marathi. The incident, caught connected camera, led to wide protests successful the area, with galore shopkeepers shutting their establishments successful solidarity. The MNS workers were detained but aboriginal released aft being served constabulary notices. The enactment has refused to apologise.Police accidental further probe is underway successful the Worli case, and further information measures stay successful spot astir Kedia’s office.