Plea in SC accuses MNS chief Raj Thackeray of hate speech, Maharashtra govt. of inaction

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday (April 7, 2025) accusing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray of hate speech and inciting violence against the north Indian community in India.

The plea filed by Sunil Shukla, who introduced himself as the national president of Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Sena, and represented by advocate Sriram Parakkat, said the Maharashtra government and the police did not respond to his repeated requests to register criminal cases against MNS cadre who had in the past resorted to violence, threats to life and harassment against him.

Mr. Shukla said his advocacy for the rights of north Indians had made him a target for threats, harassment, and physical intimidation by MNS and its affiliated groups.

He submitted that on March 30, during a Gudi Padwa rally, Mr. Thackeray had delivered an inflammatory speech which incited violence against north Indians for speaking Hindi. The petition said the speech had been broadcast, and led to violent attacks on Hindi-speaking employees at multiple locations in Mumbai, including Powai and D-Mart in Versova.

“Prior to such speech too, the petitioner received serious threats, including a chilling message on Twitter that openly incited his murder, and over 100 anonymous phone calls threatening his life. On October 6, 2024, a group of approximately 30 individuals affiliated with MNS attempted to ransack the office premises of the petitioner’s political party… However, despite several written complaints made by the petitioner to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Director General of Police, Commissioner of Police, and the Election Commission of India, no FIR has been registered,” the petition alleged.