After provoking MNS with anti-Marathi tweets, businessman Sushil Kedia has apologized, citing mental stress. Following protests and office vandalism, Kedia retracted his remarks and expressed willingness to learn Marathi.
MUMBAI, JULY 5: After sparking a major controversy by refusing to learn Marathi and directly challenging MNS Chief Raj Thackeray in a provocative tweet, Mumbai-based businessman Sushil Kedia has now issued a public apology.
This apology comes in the wake of an aggressive protest by MNS workers, who vandalized Kedia’s office ahead of the Thackeray brothers’ joint rally in Worli. Kedia’s earlier remarks, interpreted as disrespectful to the Marathi language, had triggered outrage across political and social circles.
Clarifying his earlier tweet, Kedia said, “I have been living in Mumbai for 30 years. I wrote that post under mental stress. I never intended to insult the Marathi language or its people.”
He added that the pressure of not being fluent in Marathi made him insecure and emotional. “When someone speaks perfect Marathi, I feel inadequate. I tweeted out of that tension. I realize now it was wrong,” Kedia admitted.
He further said, “My tweet can be interpreted in many ways. If I’m supported and guided, I’m willing to learn Marathi.”
In his now-deleted tweet, Kedia had taken a sharp jab at Raj Thackeray, saying:
“Despite living in Mumbai for 30 years, I have no interest in learning Marathi. And as long as people like Raj Thackeray pretend to care about Marathi, I won’t learn it.”
This statement was seen as deliberate provocation and prompted a swift, physical reaction from MNS workers. Party leaders later confirmed that Mathadi Kamgar Sena members, affiliated with the MNS, had stormed Kedia’s office and thrown coconuts in protest.
Now stepping back from his earlier position, Kedia concluded, “I respect Raj Thackeray. I realize that my own words hurt me the most. I apologize to everyone whose sentiments were hurt.”
The controversy underscores the deep emotional and political sensitivity around the Marathi language in Maharashtra, especially amid recent public discussions about linguistic identity and regional pride.
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