‘You Marathi people are dirty’: Food dispute sparks tensions between Marathi and Gujarati communities in Mumbai society

The incident occurred at the Sambhav Darshan Co-operative Housing Society in Ghatkopar.

A dispute broke out between the Marathi and Gujarati communities at a Mumbai residential complex over non-vegetarian food, after one resident allegedly referred to Marathis as "dirty" for consuming "fish and meat."

The incident occurred at the Sambhav Darshan Co-operative Housing Society in Ghatkopar, where a resident claimed that his neighbour objected to him eating non-vegetarian food.

Ram Ringe, a resident of the society, alleged that his neighbour said, "You Marathi people are dirty, you eat fish and meat." Following the heated conversation over the choice of food, Ram reached out to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and complained about the mistreatment.

The MNS leaders warned society members from the Gujarati community on Wednesday night, saying that if they mistreated Marathi residents, they would also face consequences. In the video that has now gone viral on social media, an MNS leader is heard saying, "He thinks Marathis are dirty. That means Maharashtra is also dirty. So, why did he come to a dirty place?"

The MNS leader threatened that if the behaviour continued, the person would not be able to leave the society. On Thursday, MNS leaders returned to the society after some residents called for a boycott of Ram Ringe in the common WhatsApp group. The MNS leaders confronted the society's chairman, Raj Parte, warning that the party would "respond in its own way" if the harassment of Ram Ringe persisted.

As the tensions escalated, the Mumbai Police intervened between members of the Gujarati community and Marathi-speaking residents. However, no formal complaint was filed. The police told the residents to live in harmony and not harass others.

“Range contested the apartment committee election and lost. Since then, two factions have emerged at the apartment complex. We will talk to both sides about and ensure this internal matter is solved," Senior police official Avinash Kaldate told reporters.