Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists took to the streets of Thane on April 1, demanding adoption of Marathi as the primary language for customer interactions. The campaign saw party workers distributing letters to various banks across the district to press their demand for Marathi as the language for communication.

Leading the charge, Thane MNS chief Avinash Jadhav warned that any disregard for Marathi by bank staff or management would face strict repercussions.

“We will not tolerate disrespect toward our language,” Jadhav declared, echoing the sentiments expressed by MNS President Raj Thackeray during his Gudi Padwa rally two days earlier. Thackeray had renewed the party’s long-standing call to make Marathi mandatory for all official dealings in Maharashtra.

In Mira Bhayandar, MNS leader Hemant Sawant submitted a memorandum to various banks demanding Marathi as the preferred language. The group warned of an ‘MNS-style’ backlash if the banks failed to implement these changes.