Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers went on a rampage in Pune on Friday, targeting shops without Marathi signboards. The aggressive workers, led by MNS city chief Sainath Babar, vandalised signboards written in English on Jangali Maharaj Road.
MNS leader Rajendra Babu Wagaskar stated, "This is just the beginning of our protest in Pune city. We have submitted letters to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pune Police Commissioner regarding this, and we will not stop until the last Marathi signboard is installed."
Pune Police detained several MNS workers following their violent protest. DCP Sandeep Gill mentioned, "We have detained 8 to 10 individuals, and the process of filing an FIR is underway." He added, "They neither provided any prior information about the protest nor did they obtain permission."
This comes only a few days after MNS president Raj Thackeray, who was in Pune, criticised the state government for "failing" to implement the Supreme Court directive on installing Marathi signboards on shops and other establishments, and claimed the ruling coalition pays just "lip service" to Marathi and Hindutva issues.
"Our government pays just lip service to Marathi and Hindutva issues. They talk about ideologies of Balasaheb Thackeray, but do not follow or act on them. Despite a court order on the Marathi signboard issue, they have been unable to implement it. When I asked them to remove loudspeakers atop mosques, that time also they did not do so," said the MNS leader.
The Supreme Court earlier gave shopkeepers and other commercial establishments in the state a two-month deadline to install signboards in the Marathi (Devnagri) script in bold letters. The deadline ended on November 25.
As per the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of employment and conditions of service) Rules, 2018, and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Act, 2022, respectively, the signboards of establishments must be in Marathi.
(With PTI inputs)
