Raj Thackeray's 'Learn Or Leave' Message Over Marathi Row: 'If Migrants Want To Feed Family...'
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Raj Thackeray's reaction came after a pizza delivery person in Mumbai was allegedly harassed by a mother-son duo, who refused to pay him for not speaking in Marathi.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray seems to have added a new spark to the language row by categorically mentioning that Maharashtra is the land of 'only Marathi people", and those who cannot learn the language will have to 'leave the land". His reaction came after a pizza delivery person in Mumbai was allegedly harassed by a mother-son duo, who refused to pay him for not speaking in Marathi.
'Maharashtra is the land of only Marathi people! Migrants come only to feed their families, if they want to feed their families, they will have to learn Marathi. Otherwise, leave our land. (sic)," Thackeray wrote while sharing a poster of himself that quotes him: 'If you can't support the language of the state you live in, then live in a state that supports your language."
The MNS chief's message was an extention of his X post on May 15 that shows workers of his party allegedly forcing the pizza delivery person to apologise for arguing with the mother-son duo over the language. The man can be heard saying on camera, 'Mai Marathi seekhunga bhi aur bolunga bhi (I will learn Marathi and speak the language)."
Maharashtra is the land of only Marathi people! Migrants come only to feed their families, if they want to feed their families, they will have to learn Marathi. Otherwise, leave our land. #RajThackeray #Marathi #Maharashtra https://t.co/8LdabeCkMb pic.twitter.com/7DeJhYutq6 — Raj Thackeray (@raj4maharashtra) May 16, 2025
An Army veteran, @CaptPKRajRif, asked Thackeray if the same logic can be applied to Marathas working elsewhere in India.
Some netizens asserted that the language of communication should be one that is used by a larger group. 'If you are living in India you should speak indian language and the common language is Hindi… If you can't speak Hindi then learn Hindi otherwise leave our India," user @Sumalika2000 wrote.
Another user, @NavinS27, claimed that Thackeray's reaction seems out of all-India push for the Hindi language. 'All the Hindiwalas should acknowledge the reactions their hindi thrust has caused. Hindiwalas want hindi, regional leaders want their own languages to dominate in reaction. The very policy of pushing Hindi should be scrapped else we will end up creating barriers amongst us," he wrote.
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