Dombivali: In a shocking incident in Maharashtra's Dombivli, two women were beaten up for allegedly saying "excuse me" in English instead of speaking in Marathi, amidst rising tensions between Marathi and non-Marathi communities in the region. The incident, which has sparked widespread outrage, was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media.
Poonam Gupta and Geeta Chauhan, riding a two-wheeler, were approaching the entrance of their housing society when Geeta asked a man who was blocking the way to move aside by saying "excuse me." The man, who resides on the ground floor of the same building, reportedly took offense to her use of English and demanded she speak in Marathi, a request Geeta refused.
Poonam, who was holding her 9-month-old baby during the altercation, described how the man twisted Geeta's arm before several members of his family, both men and women, joined in and began beating the two women. Despite Poonam holding her infant, the assailants showed no concern. When Poonam’s husband, Ankit Chauhan, and his friend intervened to defend the women, the attackers struck Ankit on the head with a rod.
The assault was widely condemned, especially given the common use of the phrase "excuse me" as a simple courtesy. The video of the incident triggered a wave of anger, prompting the Vishnunagar police to begin a preliminary investigation. Senior Inspector Sanjay Pawar confirmed they were looking into the matter, although no formal First Information Report (FIR) had been filed at the time of reporting.
The incident comes amid rising agitation over the use of Marathi in the state, with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, spearheading a campaign to push for the language’s use in various sectors. Recently, MNS workers had pressured bank employees to speak Marathi with customers, leading to intimidation and tensions at several bank branches. The United Forum of Bank Unions had written to the Chief Minister expressing their concern over these incidents. Thackeray later instructed his workers to halt the agitation, claiming they had already "created enough awareness."
With PTI inputs