Shobha Deshpande was later taken to a hospital for a medical check-up by the police. (Representational)
Mumbai:
Marathi writer Shobha Deshpande staged a 20-hour protest in Mumbai, Maharashtra, after a city-based jeweller allegedly refused to speak in the Marathi language and asked her to leave his shop where she had gone to make a purchase.
The jeweller has apologised to the writer, who staged the protest overnight on the footpath outside his shop.
Ms Deshpande was later taken to a hospital for a medical check-up by the police.
The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) backed the protest and warned the jeweller, Shankarlal Jain, that he will not be able to open his shop till he learns Marathi.
MNS workers also allegedly slapped the jeweller.
Speaking to a Marathi news channel, Ms Deshpande said she had gone to the jewellery shop in Colaba, south Mumbai, to buy earrings.
During their conversation, the author asked Mr Jain speak to her in Marathi.
She said his shop is in the capital of Maharashtra where the language is Marathi and he must know how to speak the same.
The jeweller said he cannot speak in Marathi, Ms Deshpande said.
“Since I did not speak in Hindi, he refused to sell me the earrings. He arrogantly asked me to leave the place,” Ms Deshpande alleged.
The writer said she demanded that the jeweller show the licence required to run the shop, but he refused.
“When I called the police, they too took the jeweller’s side. Then I staged the protest,” Ms Deshpande alleged.
Mr Jain this morning apologised to the writer.
Some MNS workers, who had arrived at the spot to express solidarity with Ms Deshpande, were seen slapping the jeweller as he apologised to the writer.
“We were here to support the writer. We taught the jeweller a lesson for being arrogant. We have made him apologise. He will not be able to open shop until he learns Marathi,” MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande was quoted as saying by the local media.
