In an indication of the party’s return to politics of intimidation, the MNS workers on Friday vandalised at least three warehouses of the Amazon in Mumbai and Pune over the leading e-commerce retailer’s alleged failure to provide Marathi as a language option for its App.
A day after a Mumbai court issued a notice to their party president Raj Thackeray to appear before it on January 5,2021 in connection with a case filed by Amazon against the party, the MNS workers – armed with sticks – went on a rampage at Amazon’s warehouses at Andheri and Malad in north Mumbai and one at Kondwa locality in Pune. As they indulged in rampage, the MNS workers shouted anti-Amazon slogans.
The MNS’ rampage at three Amazon warehouses took place at a time when the e-commerce retailer was in the midst of catering to bulk orders placed during the Christmas-New Year season. However, the extent of damage caused by the MNS workers was not immediately known.
Apparently, the MNS workers targetted the warehouses of Amazon to express their anger over the summons issued by Dindoshi court to their party president to remain present before it on January 5, in connection with a case filed by the e-commerce retailer against the tearing of its posters by the political party workers.
Amazon had filed its civil suit before the Dindoshi court in suburban Mumbai against the MNS and its workers’ union which had allegedly threatened to block the firm’s operations in Mumbai if it did not include Marathi as one of the preferred languages on its mobile application or website.
After hearing Amazon’s arguments on December 14, the court had ordered that the company staff be given protection. The court had restrained the MNS and its activists from obstructing the e-retailer or its employees from working at the e-commerce firm’s site or disturbing its business activities.
Since October this year, the MNS has been carrying a campaign ‘No Marathi, No Amazon’ in the state seeking incorporating a Marathi option on the Amazon Apps, and warned that it would not tolerate step-motherly treatment meted out to the state language.
MNS had last week threatened to launch an agitation against Amazon and Flipkart for the non-inclusion of Marathi as a preferred language in their Apps.
While customers in India can access Amazon services in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, Flipkart is available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language.
In identical letters written to Amazon and Flipklart early this week, vice president of MNS’s youth wing Akhilesh Chitre had cautioned the two e-retailers that it was essential for them to respect Marathi, which is the official language of Maharashtra.
“In your company’s App, many languages are available in the ‘Choose your preferred language’ option which is useful for getting information, buying items, etc. However, the absence of Marathi in the list of languages is an attempt to sideline the Marathi language. The App is not available in Marathi for Marathi-speaking customers and those who admire Marathi,” Chitre had stated in his letters to both Amazon and Flipkart.
Demanding an apology for its lapse and inclusion of Marathi language as an option in its App, Chitre had said: “Bear in mind that the MNS will never tolerate the injustice meted out to the Marathi language in Mumbai, which is Maharashtra’s capital. But if this has happened by mistake, you should issue an apology and pay serious attention to including Marathi in the list of the languages at the earliest.
“However, if this is an attempt to impose the language of other states on Maharashtra, then you will have to face an intense agitation. Your management board will be responsible for all consequences,” Chtre had added.
On its part, Flipkart has swiftly included Marathi language option on its App.
Chitre alleged that despite several requests, submissions and discussions, there was no positive response from Amazon “Instead Amazon resorted to legal intimidation through false and frivolous (court) cases and suits against us in Mumbai courts,” the MNS leader said.
Friday’s act of vandalisation appeared to be the revival of its politics of intimidation. It came after a gap of more than two years.
It may be recalled that on April 16, 2008, the MNS activists vandalise the office of Ratnagiri Refinery And Petrochemicals Limited at Tardeo in south Mumbai.
A day after MNS chief Raj Thackeray threatened that his party would take to streets if the Centre and Maharashtra government tried to go ahead with the Nanar project, a group of his party workers had barged into the Ratnagiri Refinery And Petrochemicals Limited’s office and went on a rampage, after heaping abuses on the security guards present there.
Subsequently, on July 16, 2018, a group of MNS activists ransacked the office of the Public Works Department (PWD) at Turbhe in Navi Mumbai in protest against potholes on the Sion-Panvel road
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