THANE: Once again, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party is seen getting aggressive on the Marathi language issue in Maharashtra. On Wednesday, MNS workers entered a nationalised bank in Ambarnath, where they threatened the bank manager for not communicating in the official state language and also vandalised the computer.
During this, the MNS worker also threatened to teach the bank manager a lesson in MNS style if he did not speak in Marathi in the future.
On the other hand, in Ulhasnagar city, located near Ambarnath, some workers also went to the nationalised banks where they tore the banner in English in the bank and met the bank manager, requesting him to use Marathi in bank’s all the work.
The Ambarnath video threatening the bank manager has gone viral on social media. The video showed the activists banging the table, shoving a computer monitor, and shouting at the manager identified as Sharma, demanding that he converse in Marathi.
However, the bank manager appeared unfazed and told the MNS workers that as part of an All India Service, he was permitted to use any permissible language in official communications. In viral video, Sharma is heard saying, “One cannot be expected to learn the Marathi language instantly; it takes time,”.
However, MNS workers are heard saying that he joined as manager one and a half years ago and by this time he should have learned Marathi. Another MNS worker is heard saying that it looks like Sharma does not want to learn Marathi and he should go to his state.
The MNS workers later threatened Sharma, saying that if he does not learn Marathi, then in the future they will teach him in MNS style.
This aggressive stance follows MNS Chief Raj Thackeray’s recent speech at a Gudi Padwa rally, where he reiterated his party’s stand on Marathi being made mandatory for official purposes. Since then, his party leaders have taken up the language issue aggressively.
