Mira Road’s business community staged a full shutdown on July 3, 2025, protesting MNS Assault Protest after a shopkeeper was attacked for not speaking Marathi.
The Vyapaari Ekta Manch organized the demonstration and called for tough measures against what they called “language-based hooliganism.”
As traders protested the intimidation of one of their own, all of the major stores stayed closed. After the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) visited the location and promised them prompt action.
The traders who had intended to march to the local police station to turn in a memorandum decided to call off their protest.
Attack At Jodhpur Sweets
The altercation occurred inside Jodhpur Sweets, a well-known store on Mira Road, according to witnesses and a widely shared video of the event. When Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) employees entered the store, the shopkeeper answered in Hindi rather than Marathi, which led to an argument.
When the owner responded in Hindi to one of the employees’ questions about the language used in Maharashtra, the employee became agitated.
The MNS Assault Protest turned violent as MNS workers allegedly beat a Mira Road shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi. A viral video from July 1, 2025, triggered widespread outrage among traders.
MNS Defends The Attack
MNS leader Avinash Jadhav addressed the matter and defended the assault by stating, “Our workers were celebrating the government’s rollback of its decision to make Hindi mandatory.” The store employees answered in Hindi when they went to purchase candies. All they wanted to know was the state language.
Opposition leaders and members of civil society have also criticized Jadhav’s comments, calling the incident “an attack on linguistic freedom and livelihood.”
Case registered against sevenThe area is under the jurisdiction of the Kandivali police, who have filed a case against seven MNS employees in accordance with the applicable IPC sections. No arrests have been made thus far, according to a senior officer. We are examining witness statements and CCTV footage.
Security has been increased around the Mira Road markets, and police have reassured local vendors that more acts of violence or intimidation will not be accepted.
