Marathi Language Row: SC PIL Seeks FIR Against MNS Chief Raj Thackeray, Party Workers Over Anti-Hindi Remarks And Alleged Mob Violence

Mumbai: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking registration of an FIR against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and his party workers over alleged mob violence and provocative statements targeting non-Marathi-speaking citizens.

The PIL, filed by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay, also demands the withdrawal of recognition granted to MNS, alleging that the party routinely engages in acts that threaten national unity. Upadhyay had earlier submitted a representation to the authorities on July 10, but with no action forthcoming, he approached the court citing “extreme urgency”.

The petition highlights a rally held on July 5, where Raj Thackeray allegedly incited violence by suggesting that those who do not speak Marathi should be “hit below their eardrums”.

He also reportedly mocked Hindi-speaking states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, saying, “If Hindi couldn’t solve the economic problems of those states, how will its imposition solve Maharashtra’s issues?”

Calling Raj’s love for Marathi “seasonal”, the plea accuses him of politicising language for electoral gain, particularly ahead of the upcoming municipal corporation elections in Mumbai. “These tantrums are blown out of proportion with the oblique and ulterior motive of gaining political advantage,” the PIL states.

It alleges that Thackeray and his workers have for years indulged in “mob violence and lynching” of people from Hindi-speaking states, often dismantling their shops and businesses in cities like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Raigad.

These actions, the petitioner contends, amount to promoting enmity between groups and are “anti-national”, punishable under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which carries imprisonment up to life.

The PIL also urges the Supreme Court to direct the police to crack down on such violent incidents with an “iron hand” and seeks a direction to the Election Commission to frame a policy for monitoring and de-recognising political parties that engage in such “unlawful and divisive” conduct.