You'll get a slap: Raj Thackeray's rhetoric against non-Marathi speakers

A language dispute is intensifying in Maharashtra following an assault on a shopkeeper in Vikhroli by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers over a WhatsApp status. MNS Chief Raj Thackeray has escalated the rhetoric, stating, "if someone does not understand Marathi, they will be slammed." Justifying the attack on the Vikhroli shopkeeper, Thackeray claimed the individual was beaten because of his attitude. This follows a series of incidents where MNS workers, reportedly emboldened by their chief, have threatened multiple people, including shopkeepers in Thane. The party workers had also previously vandalized the office of investor Sushil K. Daya and assaulted a Deemat employee as part of their ongoing campaign.