Mumbai, July 20 – A fierce language-related clash erupted aboard a Mumbai local train when a disagreement over a seat escalated into a heated argument over the use of the Marathi language. A viral video from the ladies’ compartment shows several women in a verbal confrontation, with one woman shouting, “This is our Maharashtra. Speak in Marathi or get out.”
According to reports, the altercation began when a passenger criticised another woman for not speaking in Marathi, which quickly snowballed into a larger dispute involving multiple commuters. The video has triggered strong reactions online, with many debating the issue of language dominance in public spaces.
In a separate but related incident, a shopkeeper in Mumbai’s Vikhroli area was allegedly assaulted and paraded through the market by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on July 16. The shopkeeper, identified as Prem Singh Devda, had posted a WhatsApp status that was perceived as disrespectful to the Marathi language and Maharashtra.
The post reportedly caught the attention of local MNS leader Santosh Desai, following which another leader Vishwajit Dholam and a group of party workers confronted Devda. Around 3 PM, they allegedly assaulted him, forced a public apology outside his medical shop, and paraded him around the Tagore Nagar Market.
Devda, a native of Rajasthan, later went to the Vikhroli Police Station, where he issued a formal written apology. He has since returned to his hometown. Vikhroli police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Both incidents have reignited the debate over linguistic tolerance and regional identity in Maharashtra, drawing significant attention on social media platforms.
