A worker at a café in Airoli was assaulted on Thursday by members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for allegedly refusing to play Marathi songs and speak in Marathi. This incident has drawn negative reactions from senior MNS leaders. According to a note by the Rabale police, the party workers have since apologised for their behaviour.
The assault followed a complaint by a group of college students who reported that the café worker did not speak Marathi and denied playing Marathi songs. In response, party workers entered the café and slapped the worker, an incident captured on video and widely circulated online.
Senior police inspector Sanjeev Dhumal, said, “We intervened immediately upon receiving the information and reached the spot. It was a miscommunication that led to the assault, which was subsequently clarified. The party workers apologised, and the café owner chose not to file a formal complaint. Therefore, no case was registered, only a diary note was made.”
The video shows the café worker being verbally and physically assaulted multiple times for not conversing in Marathi with customers. The worker, who hails from north India, had arrived in Mumbai just a month ago.
A senior party member said, “The incident was blown out of proportion, and the party workers acted impulsively without verifying the facts. The students who complained had been sitting in the café for hours without ordering anything. When the non-Maharashtrian waiter asked them to order or leave, they used this to lodge a complaint with the party office.”
