Mumbai, July 7 (IANS) The political row over the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) recent targeting of Hindi-speaking individuals in Mumbai escalated on Monday, as Shiv Sena-UBT leader Anand Dubey lashed out at BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, calling those spreading “misconceptions” about the issue “fools”.
This sharp exchange followed BJP MP Dubey’s blistering attack on MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena-UBT President Uddhav Thackeray over reports of MNS workers targeting Hindi speakers.
“If you’re so courageous that you can beat those who speak Hindi, then you should also beat those who speak Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu. If you’re such a big ‘boss,’ step out of Maharashtra, come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu — tumko patak patak ke maarenge,” the BJP leader had said.
Responding to the controversy, Shiv Sena-UBT spokesperson Anand Dubey told IANS: “Those who are spreading misconceptions and controversy about this issue are fools. Whatever they’re saying is not right. They’re creating confusion by claiming that people are being beaten for speaking Hindi. It’s not like that. There was a fight, and by mistake, the person involved was from a different region or caste.”
“You cannot blame 40 lakh North Indians for the fight of one individual. Our party has never discriminated on the basis of caste or religion. Whoever lives in Mumbai is a Mumbaikar — whether Dubey or Yadav, he is a Marathi. If you live in Mumbai, then say with pride, ‘I am a Marathi.’ Just like people in Bihar call themselves Bihari, it is wise to adopt the language and culture of the place where you live.”
Congress leader Aslam Shaikh also reacted to the row, calling for calm and mutual respect. “People should know and learn Marathi. But if someone doesn’t know Marathi, it’s not right to beat them. If someone does that, then there should be strict action,” he told IANS.
Shiv Sena leader Deepak Vasant Kesarkar emphasised the state’s tradition of peaceful dialogue over violence.
“The culture of Maharashtra has never been one of violence. Solutions are always found here through discussion and dialogue. Maharashtra is a state with progressive ideas, and this should remain its identity,” he said.
Kesarkar added: “Whoever lives in Maharashtra understands Marathi very well. Just as Kannada is spoken in Karnataka and Gujarati in Gujarat, speaking Marathi in Maharashtra is natural. The official language of the state is Marathi, and this is clearly mentioned in our law. Therefore, working in Marathi is necessary and normal. But you can’t force anyone.”
Meanwhile, with the MNS resorting to street-level confrontations over the Marathi language, actor and singer Dinesh Lal Yadav, popularly known as Nirahua, also issued an open challenge to the Thackeray cousins.
“I do not speak Marathi. I speak Bhojpuri and I’m staying in Maharashtra. Why are you driving poor people out? If you have the courage, then drive me out. I’m giving you a challenge, even in Mumbai,” he told reporters.
The controversy escalated after MNS workers vandalised the glass door of Mumbai-based share market investor Sushil Kedia’s office in Worli on Saturday after he publicly refused to speak Marathi and dared Raj Thackeray to act.
Adding another layer to the political drama, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray recently shared a stage after nearly two decades to champion the Marathi language and pledged to oppose the “imposition” of Hindi in Maharashtra following the state government’s rollback of orders introducing Hindi as a third language in primary schools.
–IANS
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