HC seeks Maharashtra government's reply to plea seeking FIR against Raj Thackeray

Mumbai, Nov 17 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra government and the Election Commission of India to respond to a plea seeking registration of an FIR against MNS chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly assaulting citizens for not speaking in Marathi.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay claimed that Thackeray and MNS workers had repeatedly targeted non-Marathi speaking people, especially those from North India.

The petition also prayed for necessary action by the ECI.

The petitioner's advocate, Subhash Jha, argued that such gimmicks by the Thackeray-led MNS typically intensify ahead of elections.

A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad directed the government and the ECI to file their affidavits to the plea in four weeks.

The bench also asked the petitioner to delete the terms, north Indians and south Indians, from the plea, noting that the 'hate speech' phrase was sufficient.

The petitioner claimed Raj Thackeray allegedly incited violence during a rally held on July 5 by suggesting that those who do not speak Marathi should be "hit below their eardrums".

The MNS chief also reportedly mocked Hindi-speaking states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, saying, "If Hindi couldn't solve the economic problems of those states, how will its imposition solve Maharashtra's issues?" the petition stated. PTI SP NSK