Mumbai – Amid growing controversy over incidents of violence targeting Hindi-speaking residents in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray defended his party, calling the episodes “sporadic reactions” rather than organised attacks.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave in Mumbai on Thursday, the Yuva Sena chief addressed criticism that his party and its affiliates were fostering hooliganism under the banner of Marathi pride. “You can’t control every sporadic incident, when someone gets angry at someone else over abuse. There will be a natural reaction, if at all. It’s a sporadic reaction,” Thackeray said.
Thackeray also highlighted discrimination faced by Maharashtrians in other states. “Why don’t you show the incidents where people from Mumbai or Marathi people have been denied a house because they are non-vegetarians? They’re told that they’re ‘dirty’ because they eat meat and fish,” he pointed out.
Rejecting allegations that he condoned violence, Thackeray emphasised that “violence from both sides” should be opposed. He reiterated Mumbai’s long-standing culture of openness and inclusivity, saying, “People from all across India come here with dreams and become big. There is no problem in that. And that is not despite Shiv Sena being here. That is because the Shiv Sena (UBT) has always been here supporting those dreams.”
The comments come in the wake of a series of incidents in which Hindi-speaking residents were reportedly harassed and assaulted for not speaking Marathi, sparking a wider debate on linguistic identity and cultural pride in Maharashtra.
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