Don't understand Marathi? You'll get slapped, Raj Thackeray warns non-locals

MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Friday intensified his rhetoric against non-Marathi speakers in the state, saying that if someone doesn't understand Marathi, they will get a tight slap.

"Now if you can't understand Marathi even when it's spoken directly into your ear, you'll get a slap below it. People create a fuss for no reason," Raj Thackeray said in Mumbai's Mira-Bhayandar, where his party workers had assaulted a shop owner a few days ago for not speaking Marathi.

Recalling the incident and taunting the local traders for protesting against the assault on the shopkeeper, Raj Thackeray said, "Whatever happened to that person was because of his attitude. Other traders had called for a shutdown. But if someone closes their shop under pressure, understand this—how long will you keep your shop shut? If we stop buying, then what?"

"You have all come here, stay quiet and do your work. But if you fool around here, a slap is guaranteed," he added.

- Ends