India, July 4 -- Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane on Friday lashed out at the alleged assault of a shop owner in Thane for refusing to speak in Marathi. Alleging that only Hindus were being targeted for not speaking Marathi, Rane asked if lyricist Javed Akhtar and actor Aamir Khan could speak Marathi.

"Do Javed Akhtar and Aamir Khan speak in Marathi? Why beat up a poor Hindu?" Rane asked as he addressed the media over the issue.

The minister's remarks came days after a group of men, wearing Raj Thackeray-led party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) scarves, allegedly thrashed a man in Thane's Bhayander.

A viral video showed the group asking the shop owner "which language is spoken in the state," after he talked to them in Hindi. Accordin...