Mumbai:The issue of an alleged assault on a Marathi-speaking family in Kalyan city rocked both the houses of the Maharashtra Legislature on Friday with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assuring that no injustice will be done to Marathi people in Maharashtra and Mumbai. The CM also announced the suspension of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) employee Akhilesh Shukla after a video of him and his wife attacking a Marathi family at Kalyan in Thane district went viral where the attackers are seen making derogatory remarks against Marathi people.
Speaking in the Vidhan Parishad, Fadnavis said, “Shukla is an employee of MTDC. Following the incident, an FIR has been filed against them at the Khadakpada police station in Kalyan. Shukla will be suspended from his government job.”
“Mumbai and Maharashtra belong to Marathi people and will remain so. Sometimes such characters (Shukla) display arrogance and make brazen statements. But we will not rest until the arrogance of such people is taken down,” the CM added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab raised the issue saying Shukla not only insulted and attacked the Marathi family but told the victims that he works in Mantralaya and several Marathi staffers clean his office.
“Incidents of Marathi people being bullied by people from other states have been on the rise in Mumbai and other parts of the state. There are also cases of Marathi people being denied homes in housing societies on the basis of their food choices,” Parab said.
Replying to him, Fadnavis said no one has the right to deny homes to anyone based on their eating habits and strict action will be taken in such cases as the Constitution has given right to everyone to what to eat.
In the Vidhan Sabha, the issue was raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu, on which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said injustice against Marathi people will not be tolerated and assured a strict action against Shukla.
A video of the incident has gone viral, sparking a tension between Marathis and North Indians in Kalyan. According to police, the incident occurred on December 18 in a high-rise society, wherein an argument broke out between Shukla and his Maharashtrian neighbours. As Shukla was told not to abuse and insult the Marathi-speaking community, he beat up the victims with the help of eight to ten others using sharp weapons and wooden sticks.
Meanwhile, two people have been arrested and cross FIRs filed against over a dozen others in the case. The police registered a case against Shukla (48) and his wife Geeta (45) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 74 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 189 (2) (3) and (5) (unlawful assembly) and others
