MNS Workers Clash with Auto Driver Over Alleged Insult to Thackeray

In a startling turn of events, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers attacked an auto-rickshaw driver in Mumbai. The driver was coerced into apologizing for purportedly using offensive language against a Marathi-speaking passenger and MNS chief Raj Thackeray. The incident unfolded in Dadar and was captured on video by the passenger.

The video, which also revealed the rickshaw's number plate, quickly went viral on social media. In response, MNS workers tracked the driver down, confronting him at the party's Mulund office. In another video recording, an MNS representative is seen slapping the driver and compelling him to apologize and declare 'Jai Maharashtra.'

Despite the public nature of the incident, no official complaint has been lodged with the police. This event highlights the palpable tensions and swift, sometimes aggressive, defenses mounted by political party affiliates in the face of perceived insults to their leaders.

(With inputs from agencies.)