‘Kya Karna Hai Bol?’: Sushil Kedia Vows Never to Learn Marathi After Raj Thackeray Row
'Kya Karna Hai Bol?’: Sushil Kedia Vows Never to Learn Marathi After Raj Thackeray Row
The Marathi language controversy in Maharashtra has intensified, turning into a major political and cultural debate after a shopkeeper in Mira Road was allegedly assaulted for not speaking Marathi. The incident, which was caught on video and widely shared online, has led to strong political reactions and public commentary, especially after economist and Kedionomics founder Sushil Kedia made a sharp statement against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.
Do note @RajThackeray I dont know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai & with your gross misconduct I ahve made it a resolve that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus I take pratigya I wont learn Marathi. Kya…
— Sushil Kedia (@sushilkedia) July 3, 2025
The controversy began when a group of men, allegedly MNS workers, were seen in a video assaulting Babulal Khimji Chaudhary, a 48-year-old shopkeeper in Mira Road. According to reports, the men confronted Chaudhary after one of his employees responded to them in Hindi. Chaudhary explained that his staff were from other states and were not fluent in Marathi. He also reportedly told them that “all languages are spoken in Maharashtra,” a remark that reportedly provoked the group and led to the physical assault.
An FIR has been registered against seven unidentified individuals under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The video of the assault has triggered widespread public anger and drawn comments from various political leaders.
Sushil Kedia Declares Protest Against Marathi Enforcement
Amid this growing tension, Sushil Kedia, founder of Kedionomics, took to social media platform X to voice his protest. In a direct post to Raj Thackeray, he wrote, “I don’t know Marathi properly even after living for 30 years in Mumbai, and with your gross misconduct, I have made it a resolve that until such people as you are allowed to pretend to be taking care of Marathi Manus, I take pratigya I won’t learn Marathi. Kya karna hai bol?”
#WATCH | Mumbai | On a viral video of a shop owner in Thane assaulted for purportedly refusing to speak in Marathi, Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Kadam says, "In Maharashtra, you have to speak Marathi. If you don't know Marathi, your attitude shouldn't be that you won't speak… pic.twitter.com/kSXV1JekAn
— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2025
State Minister Responds to Incident
Reacting to the incident, yesterday on July 3, Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Kadam said, “In Maharashtra, you have to speak Marathi. If you don’t know Marathi, your attitude shouldn’t be that you won’t speak Marathi… If anyone disrespects Marathi in Maharashtra, we will enforce our laws.” However, he also disapproved of the violence and stated that the attackers should have approached the police instead. “They should have filed a complaint with the police,” he said.
