'Patak patak ke marenge': BJP MP Dubey targets Thackerays amid language; draws Aaditya's ire
Raj Thackeray
's call to target Hindi speakers.
Speaking in Guwahati, Dubey told ANI, 'You people are surviving on our money. What kind of industries do you have?... If you are courageous enough and beat those who speak Hindi, then you should beat all those who speak Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu. If you are such a big 'boss', come out of Maharashtra, come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu - 'tumko patak patak ke maarenge'.'
"We all respect Marathi and the people of Maharashtra, who fought for India's independence.
The BMC election is due, and hence, Raj and Uddhav are doing cheap politics. If they have courage - they should go to Mahim and beat any Hindi or Urdu speaking people in front of Mahim dargah," the BJP MP further added.
— ANI (@ANI)
Leading the response was Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, who accused the BJP of attempting to fracture Maharashtra through divisive rhetoric. 'This is exactly the BJP's mentality, which is anti-Maharashtra,' he told reporters.
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'We have asked everyone not to react to such crazy and dirty minds because they want to create fear and instability in Maharashtra… This mentality of the BJP's MP represents the entire BJP; this does not represent North India.'
Thackeray stressed that the issue was not between languages but an orchestrated effort by the BJP to inflame tensions for electoral benefit. 'People from all over the country come to Maharashtra with dreams and hopes… Our fight is against the government, not against any language,' he said.
Criticising Dubey's remarks as 'shameless,' Aaditya added: 'Dubey is not the face of North Indians. He represents the BJP… These remarks were made with a political intent to divide Marathi and Hindi-speaking people.'
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil dismissed Dubey's intervention as ignorant. 'He is foolish. This controversy is not about language,' Patil said. 'It is about whether two other languages, besides their mother tongue, should be taught to students of Std 1 to 4.
The child can get confused… Congress respects all languages but is against diverting from 'Balmanasshastra' and confusing children.'
NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar accused Dubey of importing poll strategies from Bihar to stir unrest in Maharashtra. 'I request Nishikant Dubey ji not to try and implement election strategies specific to Bihar in Maharashtra. While he is thinking of the West Bengal and Bihar elections, he is disturbing the sense of equality in Maharashtra,' he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also demanded accountability from the state leadership. 'Earlier, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar compared Marathi Hindus with Pahalgam terrorists, and now Nishikant Dubey has made a statement. I want to ask the CM, why does he go quiet when it comes to standing for the state?'
The row comes amid a larger political campaign by MNS and Shiv Sena factions, who have joined forces to oppose what they call the imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra's schools. The state government recently reversed its earlier decision to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools, but the controversy has continued to escalate.
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