In a dramatic turn of events following a reported attack on his Worli office, prominent investor and business mentor Sushil Kedia issued a public apology to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on social media, retracting his earlier statements critical of the MNS and the Marathi language.

Kedia, who had previously taken a firm stand against the enforcement of Marathi, now appears to have softened his tone significantly. In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), Kedia admitted that his comments stemmed from an emotional reaction to escalating tensions over language issues in Maharashtra.

“I’ve been a fan, an ardent follower of Raj Thackeray, and have regularly tweeted in support of him. But this time, when our own people were hurting our own, my mind went haywire,” Kedia wrote.

“I realized I must take back my overreactions and withdraw,” he added.

The apology comes just hours after MNS volunteers allegedly vandalized Kedia’s Worli office in response to his earlier posts on social media where he criticized MNS’s aggressive stance on enforcing the Marathi language, particularly after an incident in Mira Road, where a farsan shop owner was reportedly assaulted for not speaking Marathi.

In his previous posts, Kedia had defiantly stated that he would never learn Marathi if it had to be imposed through “fear and violence.” These remarks went viral and provoked sharp backlash from MNS supporters.

On Saturday afternoon, tensions boiled over when a group of individuals allegedly affiliated with the MNS attacked Kedia’s office premises. The incident has not only attracted attention from local law enforcement but also ignited another round of debate on linguistic politics in Maharashtra, especially concerning the status and promotion of Marathi in urban centers like Mumbai.

Following the incident, Kedia shifted his tone significantly, calling Raj Thackeray a “hero” and stating that he had always admired the MNS chief for his fearless advocacy.

“I have always had a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude to Mr. Raj Thackeray for the strength with which he raises important issues. He’s always been a hero in my eyes,” said Kedia in his social media statement.