Mumbai: The controversy over missing Marathi on signboards has now intensified along the Mumbai–Ahmedabad National Highway. On Thursday, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers forcibly took down Gujarati signboards from several Gujarati and Kathiyawadi hotels along the highway in Thane and Palghar districts, insisting that signage must be in Marathi.

Raising the question “Is this Palghar in Maharashtra or Gujarat?”, MNS workers staged protests targeting hotels whose boards prioritized Gujarati or other languages over Marathi. Led by local MNS leaders—including Palghar taluka president Sandeep Kini, taluka secretary Nikhil Gaikwad, deputy taluka president Harshal Patil, city president Nishant Dhotre, and others—the workers removed and damaged several Gujarati boards in areas such as Haloli village, Manor, Mastan Naka, Varai Phata, and surrounding stretches. Some hotel owners who admitted their mistake and promised to put up Marathi signboards were spared immediate action.

Furthermore, a viral video circulating on social media shows that many hotels, dhabas, and shops from Palghar to Vasai areas along the Mumbai–Ahmedabad highway displayed signboards in Gujarati, Hindi, and English, often sidelining Marathi or writing it in very small letters.

MNS activists reacted sharply, stating that despite being in Maharashtra, these establishments were behaving as if they were in Gujarat by openly prioritizing the Gujarati script. They blamed local authorities, particularly Palghar district Labour Deputy Commissioner Vijay Chaudhary, for failing to enforce the law strictly.

Meanwhile, a recent inspection by the Labour Department revealed that out of 233 establishments checked in Palghar district, 86 had not installed signboards in Marathi as required. The department has so far taken penal action against 17 establishments, while action against others is underway. As per Maharashtra law, it is mandatory for all shops and establishments to display their names primarily in Marathi script. If names appear in other languages, the Marathi text must be larger. Despite this, non-compliance remains widespread, with critics blaming official indifference.

“All establishments in Maharashtra must prominently display their names in Marathi Devanagari script. In Palghar district, action is being taken under relevant laws against those who violate this rule,” confirmed Vijay Chaudhary, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Palghar.

In Vasai, acting on orders from MNS leader Avinash Jadhav, party workers staged strong protests against Kathiyawadi hotels displaying prominent Gujarati boards. These workers vandalized several signboards and pulled down many others.

The MNS, which has staged similar protests earlier in parts of Mumbai, has now shifted its focus to the city’s outskirts, keeping linguistic pride at the center of the state’s politics. Local police said they had not received any formal complaints regarding the MNS activists’ actions. DeshGujarat