Raj Thackeray condemns attack on Marathi family in Kalyan, warns of action

Amid political row over attack on Marathi family in Kalyan Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Friday strongly condemned the incident and has warned of action if the state government fails to strongly act in the matterA Maharashtra government employee is accused of attacking a Marathispeaking family at Kalyan in Thane district of MaharashtraThe police have registered a case against the accused identified as Akhilesh Shukla 48 an employee of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation MTDC his wife Geeta 45 and others under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS sections 74 assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty 115 voluntarily causing hurt 3513 criminal intimidation 189 2 3 and 5 unlawful assembly and othersAccording to police the attack took place around 845 pm on December 18 and the accused as well as the victims live on the same floor of a building in KalyanAs per the FIR the victim saw Shukla quarrelling with one of their neighbours over lighting of an incense stick The victim asked Shukla to maintain peace and not to abuse and insult the entire Marathispeaking communityThe accused couple got angry on hearing this and beat up the victim and his wife with the help of eight to ten others They attacked the male victim using some sharp weapon iron rod pipes and wooden sticks and inflicted wounds on his arms legs and face The accused also molested his wife and threatened the couple it addedIn a post on X Raj Thackeray highlighted that similar incidents have been occurring frequently in the recent timesHe claimed that these attacks are not isolated but part of a larger pattern where nonMarathi individuals allegedly target Marathi people to assert dominanceRaj Thackeray also pointed out the growing presence of antiMarathi individuals who are secretly working against the interests of the Marathi community He warned that if such behavior continues unchecked it could lead to disastrous consequences for Marathi people hellipmdash Raj Thackeray RajThackeray December 20 2024He urged Marathi citizens to stay vigilant and not let outsiders undermine their identity and cultureThe MNS chief also criticised the local politicians in Kalyan including MPs and MLAs for their lack of action in the matterRaj Thackeray also questioned the sincerity of those who seek votes in the name of protecting Marathi culture but remain silent when incidents like this occurRaj Thackeray called for immediate action against the culprits involved in the Kalyan attack urging the authorities to arrest them and show that the law can bring justice He made it clear that if the government fails to take action the MNS will not hesitate to step in and take matters into their own handsMeanwhile Akhilesh Shukla surrendered before the Khadakpada police a police official reportedly saidAccording to reports before surrendering Shukla posted a video on social media in which he claimed his wife was beaten up by family members of the victims