Plea in Bombay High Court against Raj Thackeray over violence against Hindi speakers

Days after Supreme Court's refusal to entertain a plea seeking the registration of an FIR against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray over alleged hate speech targeting Hindi-speaking citizens, Sunil Shukla, President of the Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Sena, has approached the Bombay High Court seeking relief [Sunil Shukla v State of Maharashtra].

The petition has accused Thackeray and members of his party of inciting violence and making repeated threats against the North Indian-Hindi speaking community in Maharashtra as well as against Shukla personally.

In his plea, Shukla has alleged that over the past year, he has faced grave threats, harassment, and physical intimidation solely due to his political identity and advocacy for North Indian migrants in the state.

According to the plea, the threats have escalated significantly and police and State authorities have shown complete inaction despite at least nine written complaints over ten months.

One of the incidents highlighted in the petition occurred in October 2024, when a group of approximately 30 individuals, allegedly affiliated with MNS, barged into the office premises of his political party and attempted to ransack the premises.

According to Shukla, a police officer witnessed the hour-long incident but failed to record any statement or make arrests.

The petition has claimed that repeated efforts to raise the issue with senior police officials and political authorities were ignored.

Another incident cited is from March 30 this year when a speech by Thackeray at a Gudi Padwa rally was widely broadcast and allegedly included calls for violence against Hindi-speaking employees in malls and banks for not speaking Marathi.

As per the plea, this speech directly led to multiple attacks on Hindi-speaking staff across Mumbai.

Further, after filing a petition before the Supreme Court earlier last month against Thackeray, Shukla received multiple death threats via phone and WhatsApp, the petition has alleged.

His phone number was circulated by MNS supporters, resulting in a flood of threatening messages. Despite informing the police and top state officials, he claims that no protective action has been taken to date.

Shukla has sought immediate police protection for himself and his family, along with the registration of FIRs against Thackeray and others who threatened him.

He has also urged the Court to direct the Election Commission of India to consider the deregistration of MNS for allegedly violating election laws and promoting hatred and enmity.

In addition, he has demanded that the investigation into the threats and attacks be handed over to an independent agency or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure impartiality and insulate the process from political interference.

The petition was filed through advocate Sriram Parakkat.