Suspected Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists attacked galleries of mobile companies Airtel and Aircel in Bandra and Thane on Tuesday for not using Marathi in their customer interactive voice systems (CIVS).
Following the attacks, both companies agreed to launch the option by midnight. CIVS tells a caller if the person she has called is busy, not reachable, or has switched off the phone.
At least five MNS workers threw stones wrapped in the party’s flag
and broke the glass main door of the Airtel gallery near Lucky Restaurant at Bandra (West) and the Aircel gallery at Linking Road, Khar (West). The incidents took place at about 2:45pm.
These attacks were preceded by the one in Thane. At about 1:30pm, two men attacked an Airtel gallery near Malhar signal and broke its glass pane. One employee was injured. A case was registered against “unidentified persons” at the Naupada police station.
Shabina, an Airtel employee present at the Bandra franchisee at the time of the attack, said, “When the first stone was hurled, I thought it was mischief by children playing outside. But after a minute four or five stones wrapped in the MNS flag were hurled and the main glass door shattered. That was when we realised something was wrong.”
The Bandra police registered a case of criminal intimidation and damage to property. “We have recorded the statements of the employees and a few people who were near the shop,” senior inspector Prakash George of the Bandra police station said.
Another officer said the police will call for questioning Akhil Chitre of the MNS, who had given a letter to the Airtel franchisee in Bandra to demand the use of Marathi in the CIVS. The attacks were carried out within an hour of MNS president Raj Thackeray asking his men to take action against Airtel. “Air chi tail khecha [pull Air’s tail],” Thackeray had remarked at a party meeting in Matunga.
But MNS general secretary Shirish Parkar said it was not a threat. “He wanted to say that Airtel’s deadline to make changes was over. Now go and discuss the matter with them.” Parkar claimed the attacks were spontaneous. “I do not know if MNS workers are behind the attacks. It was a spontaneous reaction by Marathi-loving people.”
But Avinash Jadhav, Thane deputy chief of the MNS, said the attack was carried out as Airtel had failed to start its Marathi helpline.
Chitre said, “We had demanded that they include Marathi in their voice message system. They started a Marathi call centre, which is welcome, but our original demand was not met.”
Both companies have agreed to use Marathi in the CIVS. Seema
Pai, an Aircel official, said Marathi is the second language on their CIVS but they will make it the first option soon.
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