Two women assaulted for 'saying excuse me instead of speaking in Marathi'
Thane, Apr 8 (PTI): Two women, one of them carrying a baby in her arms, were on Tuesday beaten up in Dombivli in the district for allegedly saying "excuse me" instead of speaking in Marathi.
As a video of the incident went viral, police said they were conducting preliminary probe.
The incident took place in the morning when the women, who were on a two-wheeler, were entering the premises of the housing society where they lived.
When the woman who was riding the scooter said "excuse me" to a young man who was obstructing the entrance, he allegedly took offence, demanding that she speak in Marathi, she claimed.
The man, who lives on the ground floor of the same building, allegedly twisted the arm of the pillion rider, they said in a complaint filed at Vishnunagar police station.
Four or five women and two young men from his family gathered and allegedly beat up the two women. Eyewitnesses said they showed no concern for the nine-month-old baby.
'Excuse me' is a common courtesy and the accused's reaction was unwarranted, the complainant said.
Senior inspector Sanjay Pawar of Vishnu Nagar police station told PTI that investigation was underway.
No First Information Report has been registered yet, he said, adding that police were probing if the incident arose from a past dispute.
Workers of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had recently launched an agitation demanding that staff at banks in Maharashtra should speak to customers in Marathi.
The United Forum of Bank Unions wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, stating that people claiming to be MNS activists have been visiting bank branches and intimidating staff. Thackeray later asked his workers to cease the agitation.
Dombivali | इंग्रजीत "ExcuseMe" म्हणणाऱ्या तरुणींना मारहाण, तिघांविरोधात गुन्हा#Dombivali #Crime #MarathiNews pic.twitter.com/ChDQzZqMPY
— Navarashtra (@navarashtra) April 8, 2025
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Israeli strikes on Gaza, kills at least 27 Palestinians
Deir Al-Balah, Apr 28 (AP): Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday killed at least 27 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has cut off the territory's two million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March in what it says is an attempt to pressure the fighter group to release hostages.
The daily bombardment and widespread hunger is taking a heavy toll on Gaza's most vulnerable residents, including pregnant women and children.
An airstrike hit a home in Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people, including a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been released as part of the ceasefire. His wife, two of their children and a grandchild were also killed, according to the Indonesian Hospital, which received the bodies.
Another strike hit a home in Gaza City, killing seven people, including two women, according to the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency service. Two other people were wounded.
Late Sunday, a strike hit a home in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 10 people, including five siblings as young as four-years-old, according to the Health Ministry. Two other children were killed along with their parents, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel says it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the fighter group operate in densely populated areas.
The war began when Hamas-led group attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians. Israel's bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of Gaza and left most of its population homeless.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is either destroyed or agrees to disarm and leave the territory. He says Israel will then implement US President Donald Trump's proposal to resettle much of Gaza's population in other countries through what the Israeli leader refers to as "voluntary emigration."
Palestinians say the plan would amount to forcible expulsion from their homeland after Israel's offensive left much of Gaza uninhabitable. Human rights experts say it would likely violate international law.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as called for in the ceasefire that Israel ended.
