Published on: 14 Feb, 2026 18:09 IST
The Bombay High Court has directed a petitioner to furnish specific details regarding alleged instances of hate speech and threats made by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and party workers against Hindi-speaking residents in Maharashtra. This development comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the MNS’s rhetoric, which critics claim fosters linguistic division and incites violence.
The directive was issued during a hearing on February 12, 2026, by a division bench comprising Justices AS Chandurkar and Jitendra Jain. The court was addressing a criminal writ petition filed by Sunil Shukla, National President of the Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Sena, who alleges that Thackeray and MNS functionaries have engaged in a sustained “anti-North Indian” campaign. Shukla claims he has personally been targeted for opposing this agenda, including receiving threats.
According to the petition, the alleged hostility traces back to inflammatory speeches by Raj Thackeray, particularly during a Gudi Padwa rally earlier in the year. In these addresses, Thackeray reportedly urged action against Hindi-speaking employees in sectors like banking and retail for not conversing in Marathi, leading to subsequent assaults and intimidation. Shukla argues that such statements violate Sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups), 295A (outraging religious feelings), and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He has also called for the derecognition of the MNS as a political party by the Election Commission of India (ECI), citing repeated violations of electoral norms.
The petitioner had previously approached the Mumbai Police Commissioner seeking the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), but no action was taken, prompting the move to the High Court. During the hearing, the bench emphasized the need for concrete evidence, instructing Shukla to provide dates, locations, video clips, and other particulars of the incidents. The state government has been asked to file a response, with the matter scheduled for further hearing in four weeks.
This case builds on a series of legal challenges against Thackeray and the MNS over similar allegations. In July 2025, Mumbai advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, accusing Thackeray of inciting mob violence against migrants from other states since 2005. The court sought responses from the state and ECI in November 2025. Separately, in July 2025, another petition reached the Supreme Court, alleging Thackeray’s encouragement of assaults on Hindi-speaking migrants. The apex court, in August 2025, declined to entertain it, directing the petitioner—also Sunil Shukla—to approach the Bombay High Court instead.
The controversy has been fueled by recent statements from Thackeray. On January 12, 2026, during a rally ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, he called for Marathi unity and warned against the “imposition” of Hindi in Maharashtra. “People from UP and Bihar should understand that Hindi is not your language… If you try to impose it, I’ll kick you,” Thackeray stated, emphasizing threats to Maharashtra’s land, language, and identity. Critics, including opposition leaders, have condemned these remarks as divisive, especially in the context of escalating tensions over language policies.
Incidents linked to MNS workers include assaults on Hindi-speaking individuals for not using Marathi, particularly following the state government’s brief attempt to introduce a three-language policy in schools, which was later withdrawn amid protests. A joint rally by Raj Thackeray and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray in July 2025 celebrated this reversal but drew accusations of exacerbating linguistic rifts.