48-year-old sweet shop owner, Baboolal Choudhari, has filed an First Information Report(FIR), at Kashimira Police Station in the Mira Road area, alleging that he was assaulted by MNS members for not speaking in Marathi.
According to the FIR, the incident took place at around 10:35 pm at ‘Jodhpur Sweets and Namkeen’, a popular shop in Mira Road (East). Owner Baboolal Khimaji Choudhary, stated that seven men, five of whom wore scarves bearing the MNS logo, entered his shop and confronted him over the use of Marathi in his business operations.
“They asked about my identity. When I told them I was the owner, they cited a proposal allegedly passed in the state Assembly requiring businesses to function in Marathi and employ Marathi-speaking staff. When I asked for clarification, they turned aggressive and physically assaulted me,” Choudhary alleged in his statement.
Originally from Rajasthan and currently residing in Bhayander (East), Choudhary has been running the shop for over a year, employing eight workers. “This business is my livelihood and supports my family. The assault was frightening and unjustified,” he said.
The individuals seen in the viral video have been identified as, Karan Kandangire (31), MNS Deputy City Chief, Mira-Bhayander, Pramod Nilekat, Vaahtuk Sena District Organiser, Akshay Dalvi, MNS Worker from Dahisar, Mumbai
“All three accused are currently absconding. We have issued notices and further investigation is underway,” confirmed Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Kamble of the Kashimira police station. Police have registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including assault, criminal intimidation, intentional insult, and promoting enmity on linguistic grounds.
Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam, condemned the attack, urging restraint. “The state government will not tolerate disrespect towards the Marathi language, but taking the law into one’s own hands is unacceptable,” he said.
However, MNS leaders have defended the actions. “We will not tolerate insults to Marathi. File FIRs or press false charges, we are not afraid,” said Karan Kandangire in a brief statement to the media.
In a strong display of public dissent, several local shopkeepers in Mira-Bhayander downed their shutters on the morning of July 3. The move came in protest against the repeated attacks by MNS workers, including a recent incident involving a restaurant owner being harassed for not using Marathi.
