Viral video | New Zealand tourist tricked into speaking Marathi swear words at Sinhagad Fort; FIR filed

A video has gone viral on social media showing a New Zealand tourist speaking Marathi swear words after he was tricked by some youths. The incident took place when some unidentified youngsters ran into the foreign tourist when he was visiting Sinhagad Fort near Pune.

According to video, shared on X, the locals were having a conversation with the New Zealander when they asked him to utter a few Marathi swear words and obscene terms.

The man, who did not understand the language, obliged them.

After the clip went viral, the Maharashtra police took notice of the incident on their own and registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 302 (intentionally wounding the religious feelings of another person) and 352 (intentionally insulting someone to provoke a breach of peace).

The case was registered against four unidentified youths at the Haveli police station of the district.

Instruct banks to use Marathi: MNS chief Raj Thackeray writes to IBA

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray has asked the apex banks body to instruct banks to use Marathi in its services as mandated by the norms of the RBI or else his party will intensify its agitation.

In a letter to the Indian Banks Association, submitted by MNS leaders on Wednesday, Thackeray also said banks will be responsible for law and order if they do not conform to the three language formula, --- English, Hindi and the local language (Marathi in case of Maharashtra), in its services.

"You give necessary instructions to the banks to use Marathi (in its services) or else MNS will intensify its agitation and after that the law and order responsibility lies with the concerned banks," Thackeray said in the letter.

The Reserve Bank of India had issued a circular over the use of regional languages in public sector and private banks. Accordingly, the boards in the banks should be in three languages --- Hindi, English and the regional language of that state. Even the services should be in three languages, the letter said.