
'Will Beat You...': Nishikant Dubey Dares Raj Thackeray To Visit UP, Bihar Amid Marathi Row
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi hit out at Dubey and asked who made him the decision maker of what other party leaders should be doing
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Monday dared Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray to visit Bihar and Uttar Pradesh amid a row over the Marathi language and said he will be beaten up if he travels to the two states of the Hindi belt.
Dubey's remarks came days after MNS workers assaulted a food stall owner in Thane district's Bhayandar for not speaking Marathi.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers assaulted a food stall owner in Thane district's Bhayandar for not speaking Marathi, and a businessman in Mumbai issuing a statement declaring he would not speak Marathi despite having lived in the city for many years.
'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," Dubey said.
#WATCH | Guwahati, Assam | On Raj Thackeray's remark 'beat but don't make a video', BJP MP Nishikant Dubey says, '…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… pic.twitter.com/gRvAjtD0iW — ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2025
The BJP member accused Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackery of doing 'cheap politics" over Marathi ahead of the BMC election. 'If they have courage – they should go to Mahim and beat any Hindi or Urdu speaking people in front of Mahim dargah," he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi hit out at Dubey and asked who made him the decision maker of what other party leaders should be doing.
She also asked if Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis agreed with their party MP's language with regard to the people of Maharashtra and his disparaging comments about hard-working people of the state.
'Who made him the gatekeeper of Hindi? Who made him the tax keeper of India? Who made him the spokesperson of industrialists? Who made him the decision maker of what other party leaders should be doing?" she asked in a post on X.
Who made him the gatekeeper of Hindi?Who made him the tax keeper of India?Who made him the spokesperson of industrialists?Who made him the decision maker of what other party leaders should be doing?Does @Dev_Fadnavis ji agree with their party MP's language with regards to… https://t.co/CWubjlO174
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) July 7, 2025
Taking cognisance of incidents of violence over Marathi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said while there was nothing wrong in expecting people to speak Marathi in the state, it was unacceptable to resort to violence for its insistence and that one cannot be 'obstinate" about it. He also warned of legal action against those taking the law into their hands over the issue.
For the first time in two decades, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray held a joint rally on June 5 to mark their 'success" in getting the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation to withdraw two government resolutions (GRs) on the three-language policy under NEP 2020 and teaching of Hindi from Class 1 in English and Marathi medium schools.
At the event, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, leaders of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, respectively, had vowed to oppose all attempts by the government to 'impose" Hindi and 'sideline" Marathi in the state.
(with inputs from ANI, PTI)
First Published:
July 07, 2025, 17:06 IST

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NDTV
4 minutes ago
- NDTV
PM Modi Greets Defence Minister Rajnath Singh On His Birthday Today
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended greetings to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on his birthday and said that he has distinguished himself for his hardworking nature and wisdom. PM Modi praised the Defence Minister's efforts to make India self-reliant in defence. "Best wishes to Union Minister Shri Rajnath Singh Ji on his birthday. He's distinguished himself for his hardworking nature and wisdom. His efforts to make India self-reliant in defence and strengthen our armed forces are commendable. Praying for his long and healthy life," PM Modi posted on his X handle. Best wishes to Union Minister Shri Rajnath Singh Ji on his birthday. He's distinguished himself for his hardworking nature and wisdom. His efforts to make India self-reliant in defence and strengthen our armed forces are commendable. Praying for his long and healthy life.… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 10, 2025 Rajnath Singh was born on this day in 1951 in the Bhabhuara village of Uttar Pradesh. He is one of the senior-most political leaders in the country, having entered politics in 1974 and in 1977 was elected as an MLA in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. In October 2000, he became Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, but before that, in November 1999, he was the Union Minister of Surface Transport in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre. In 2003, Singh became Minister of Agriculture in Vajpayee's cabinet at the Centre. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) elected Rajnath Singh as the party president for the term 2013 to 1015. As the BJP National President, he embarked on the Bharat Suraksha Yatra. In 2014, he became the Union Minister of Home Affairs in the Narendra Modi government, and in 2019, he was made the Defence Minister of the country. He continued with the portfolio in 2024 when the PM Modi-led NDA retained power at the Centre for the third term. Extending his birthday greetings, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Rajnath Singh was an epitome of ideals, integrity, and restraint in Indian politics. " ... heartfelt birthday greetings to the Honorable Defense Minister Shri @rajnathsingh ji! Your public life of over five decades is a shining example of national policy, national security, and ethical politics. May the grace of Lord Shri Ram remain upon you. May you be blessed with excellent health and a long life," wrote Chief Minister Yogi on his X handle in Hindi (loosely translated). भारतीय राजनीति में आदर्श, शुचिता और संयम की प्रतिमूर्ति, भाजपा परिवार के वरिष्ठ सदस्य, माननीय रक्षा मंत्री श्री @rajnathsingh जी को जन्मदिन की हार्दिक बधाई! आपका पांच दशकों से अधिक का सार्वजनिक जीवन राष्ट्रनीति, राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा और नैतिक राजनीति का उज्ज्वल उदाहरण है। प्रभु… — Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 10, 2025 Union Minister Nitin Gadkari extended his heartfelt wishes to his colleague, saying, "birthday wishes to my colleague in the Union Cabinet, Defense Minister Shri @rajnathsingh ji. I pray to God for your excellent health, long life, and a prosperous life." केंद्रीय कैबिनेट में मेरे साथी रक्षा मंत्री श्री @rajnathsingh जी आपको जन्मदिन की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं।💐 ईश्वर से आपके उत्तम स्वास्थ्य, दीर्घायु और मंगलमय जीवन की प्रार्थना करता हूं। — Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) July 10, 2025 Union Home Minister Amit Shah greeted Singh and said he was doing commendable work in strengthening the country's military power and promoting self-reliance in the field of defence. केन्द्रीय रक्षा मंत्री एवं भाजपा के वरिष्ठ नेता श्री @rajnathsingh जी को जन्मदिन की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ। मोदी जी के नेतृत्व में देश की सैन्य शक्ति को निरंतर सुदृढ़ करने और रक्षा के क्षेत्र में आत्मनिर्भरता को बढ़ावा देने की दिशा में आप सराहनीय कार्य कर रहे हैं। संगठन से लेकर सरकार… — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 10, 2025 "Heartfelt birthday wishes to the Union Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Shri @rajnathsingh ji. Under the leadership of Modi ji, you are doing commendable work in continuously strengthening the country's military power and promoting self-reliance in the field of defense. From the organization to the government, you have successfully discharged all responsibilities, inspiring those who lead a social life. I pray to God for your excellent health and long life."


Hans India
9 minutes ago
- Hans India
Bihar protests against EC's voter list revision
Patna: Protests erupted across Bihar on Wednesday against the Election Commission's special intensive revision of electoral rolls even as the Supreme Court agreed to hear one more plea challenging the poll panel's move. Top leaders of the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, converged in Patna for the protests. Burning tyres were seen on highways in several parts of Bihar, throwing traffic out of gear in districts such as Muzaffarpur, Nawada, Arwal, Jehanabad and Darbhanga. In many of these districts, the demonstrations were led by local MLAs belonging to RJD, Congress and the three Left parties. The INDIA bloc, of which the Mahagathbandhan is a part, is supporting the Bharat Bandh called in protest against the four labour codes, but in Bihar the Opposition coalition has chosen to also highlight its reservations against the Election Commission's move, which threatens to disenfranchise crores of voters with barely months to go for the Bihar Assembly elections. The RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, The CPI's D. Raja, the CPM's M.A. Baby and the CPI(ML)'s Dipankar Bhattacharya joined Rahul Gandhi in a giant procession that started from the Income Tax crossing in the Bihar capital, a stone's throw from landmarks such as Patna High Court and offices of many political parties. The leaders stood atop an open vehicle amid a vast sea of workers of the parties as the crowd marched to the Election Commission's office, about one-and-half kilometres away. The administration had put up barricades in front of the Vidhan Sabha premises near the EC office, where the leaders addressed the gathering. Rahul accused the Election Commission 'comprising persons nominated by the BJP' of 'serving' the party in power and not the people. He accused the poll panel of trying to 'replicate the Maharashtra model' in Bihar by tampering with the electoral rolls. Rahul had blamed what he called manipulation of electoral rolls for the unexpected landslide victory of the BJP-led coalition in the Maharashtra Assembly polls months after the BJP-led coalition was thrashed in the Lok Sabha elections. 'The EC has hatched a conspiracy to deprive people, mostly Dalits and other vulnerable sections, of their voting rights,' alleged Pappu , whose constituency is in the Seemanchal region which the BJP alleges is teeming with 'illegal immigrants' from Bangladesh and Myanmar, accommodated by parties with an eye on 'vote bank'.


New Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Economy in distress, unemployment very high in country, says AICC General Secretary
BENGALURU: AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005), which is an instrument of livelihood for the poor, marginalised, SC/STs and OBCs, is under attack by the Union Government. The Congress leader also alleged that the economy is in distress and unemployment is very high. The Congress leader said that the budget for MGNREGA has stagnated at around Rs 86,000 crore. He said Aadhaar-MGNREGA card linking denied 7 crore registered workers their rightful wages and employment, and total person-days of work under MGNREGA fell from 312.37 crore in 2023-24 to just 239.67 crore by February 2025, he said. 'Congress guaranteed and had implemented 100 days of work, but the BJP has slashed it to just 45,' he said. Surjewala said Wednesday's Bharat Bandh, a nationwide strike by trade unions, was a protest against the Modi government's alleged anti-worker and anti-farmer policies. The Congress leader said the BJP government failed to provide adequate employment opportunities, with over 30 lakh vacancies across various departments of the Government of India and Public Sector Undertakings. Unemployment in India has reached alarming levels, but the government has failed to take effective action, he said. He said wealth inequality in India is worsening as the rich are getting richer while the poor continue to suffer. India has slipped to 111th out of 125 countries in the 2023 Global Hunger Index and India stands at 134th out of 193 on the UNDP's Human Development Index (2022), which measures life expectancy, education, and income.