"Beating someone for not speaking Marathi is not acceptable": Former CM Prithviraj Chavan

Chavan further said that they are not against Hindi but its imposition in Maharashtra's primary education.

Speaking to ANI, former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan said, "The state government tried to implement the three-language formula, but the people of Maharashtra started protesting against it. We are not against Hindi; we are against making its compulsory from Class 1. The state government had to withdraw its decision... Some people want to celebrate it and take credit for it... Beating someone (for not speaking Marathi) and taking the law into your own hands is not acceptable at all. The Chief Minister is responsible for this, because for political gains, he is supporting the protests of some people and not giving permission to others..."

Earlier on Tuesday, amid a language row in Maharashtra, Congress leader Naseer Hussain said that equal respect to all languages spoken in the country.

Speaking to ANI, Hussain said, "We should give equal respect to all languages spoken in the country. We should not hurt the sentiments of those speaking their respective languages..."

Meanwhile, Maharashtra NavNirman Sena workers gathered in large numbers at Mira Bhayandar on Tuesday to protest against the ongoing language row.

The protest was led by NavNirman Sena leader Sandeep Deshpande, who addressed the crowd and demanded respect for regional languages.

The controversy began when some traders in Mumbai were allegedly attacked by MNS workers for not speaking Marathi. The MNS had been demanding that traders and shopkeepers in the city speak Marathi, leading to tensions between the two groups. The police have been working to maintain law and order in the city and prevent any further escalation of the situation.

The MNS has been advocating for the use of Marathi in public places and has been critical of those who do not speak the language. The party's chief, Raj Thackeray, has been vocal about the need for people to learn and speak Marathi, especially in Maharashtra. (ANI)