On Saturday, Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, for the first time in 20 years, shared a dais. During their address, they defended the ‘slapgate’ episode by party workers against those unable to speak the local language. However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP Mumbai president, Ashish Shelar, have maintained that the government will not tolerate any such act of hooliganism by any party, targeting non-Marathi speakers.

On Sunday, Shelar made a statement comparing the Pahalgam terror attack and the Mira Road incident, wherein Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers slapped a non-Marathi person for not respecting the local language and region. “In the Pahalgam terror attack, people were asked their religion before being shot. Here, people are being attacked based on their language,” Shelar said in a clear indication that the BJP would focus on national pride to counter the ongoing linguistic row, which may peak ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in Mumbai.

BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar. FILE PIC