Mumbai: A Western Railway ticket collector (TC), Ashish Pande, has been suspended after an audio clip of his discriminatory remarks against Muslims and Maharashtrians went viral, sparking outrage across the state. Pande, who lives in Vikhroli, Mumbai, was heard saying he refuses to do business with Muslim or Marathi people, including using auto-rickshaws driven by them.
The audio, shared on social media platform X on Sunday, triggered immediate backlash. Within hours, the clip had amassed over 130,000 views, with many criticizing the blatant discrimination. Pande’s statements have added to ongoing concerns over tensions between migrant workers and Maharashtra’s local Marathi-speaking communities.
Western Railway swiftly responded, suspending Pande and launching an inquiry. A spokesperson for Western Railway tweeted, “We take this matter very seriously. The staff member has been suspended immediately, pending a full investigation. We are committed to upholding the integrity of our services.”
Political reactions were swift, particularly from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), known for its vocal defense of Marathi rights. MNS members reportedly confronted Pande, issuing a strong warning and highlighting the need to respect local communities. Social activists have also condemned the incident, calling for greater efforts to foster harmony between migrant and local populations in Maharashtra. The incident shows the deep-rooted prejudice against Muslims ingrained in a wide cross-section of society, including public-sector employees. The root cause of this problem is the unhinged ideology of hate and Islamophobia that has spread its tentacles across the nation’s polity, with very few having the courage to fight it at the social and political level.
