‘Been in Mumbai 30 years, still won’t speak Marathi’: Analyst dares Raj Thackeray on social media; MNS hits back with ‘tight slap’ warning

MUMBAI: Sushil Kedia, a share market-investment analyst, dared MNS Chief Raj Thackeray on social media X to act against him, saying he has been in Mumbai for 30 years but has not learnt Marathi."I don't know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai, threatening me by 100 of your party workers is not going to make me a fluent Marathi speaker," Kedia said in a post on X.This action drew criticism from the MNS, although no direct threats were made against him by the party. On its party's X handle, the MNS reposted a tweet from the party's General Secretary Manoj Chavan: "If you live in Maharashtra and act superior by not speaking Marathi, I'll give you a tight slap!"

MNS city president Sandeep Deshpande commented on X, "Do business if you're a businessman, don't try to act like our boss.

If you insult Marathi in Maharashtra, you'll get a slap, otherwise, stay in your lane, Mehta or whoever. That's all for now." Subsequently, Kedia posted another tweet tagging city police, CM Devendra Fadnavis and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating: "I'm receiving calls from several police stations... offering me protection, but under that pretext, they're asking for my location. This appears to be a dirty operation already underway, baying for my blood."

Earlier, Mira-Bhayander BJP MLA Narendra Mehta responded to the slap incident, stating, "Pride in Marathi, but not by forgetting the limits of humanity!...I strongly condemn this act." Sushil Kedia also reposted BJP minister Nitesh Rane's message on X, which stated, "Those who raise their hands against poor Hindus should also show the courage to go to Nalbazar and Mohammad Ali Road and beat up the jihadis! Because you never hear them speaking Marathi!"