Tension prevailed in Maharashtra’s Nashik after workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) allegedly slapped a staff member at a local branch of Physics Wallah following claims that Marathi-speaking students were insulted at the coaching institute.
The incident, which reportedly took place at the centre’s Sharanpur Road branch, surfaced after a video went viral on social media. In the footage, a group of men wearing saffron mufflers — associated with the Raj Thackeray-led party — can be seen confronting a staff member inside a classroom.
According to students present at the centre, a teacher allegedly referred to some Marathi-speaking students as “gaonthi” and “mannerless,” and was accused of insisting that communication be done only in Hindi. Aggrieved students reportedly approached local MNS workers to complain about the matter.
In the viral video, an MNS worker is seen questioning students about the incident before confronting the staff member. When the employee attempts to respond, he is interrupted and asked to speak in Marathi. Moments later, some workers are seen slapping him while accusing him of disrespecting the local language.
“You come here to earn, you live here, and you insult the local language? Don’t you have any shame?” one of the workers is heard saying in the video.
The party workers also issued an eight-day ultimatum to the coaching centre, demanding the recruitment of Marathi-speaking staff. They warned of an “MNS-style protest” if their demands were not met.
There has been no official statement yet from Physics Wallah regarding the incident. Police have not confirmed whether a complaint has been registered as of the time of reporting.
