Ashish Shelar Dares Congress, Allies to Fight Alone in Mumbai, Defends Marathi and Hindustani Harmony

Mumbai: In a sharp political swipe, Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar on Tuesday mocked the Congress party’s recent hints about contesting the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections solo, saying the party lacked the grassroots strength to pull it off.

“If Congress wants to contest on its own, it should first have real strength in Mumbai. Those who lack strength themselves are now talking about fighting alone — this statement is laughable. I openly challenge them: if any party — Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, MNS, SP, or BSP — has the courage to contest elections alone in Mumbai, they should step forward,” Shelar declared while addressing reporters in Mumbai.

Shelar also underscored his party’s cultural and linguistic priorities, stressing that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would always stand for Marathi pride as well as respect for the Hindustani language.

“Our role is clear: to fight for Marathi, Hindutva, and the Hindustani language. This is the responsibility of the Bharatiya India Party. We will speak Marathi in Maharashtra, but we will not tolerate any insult to any other language or its speakers. The government will not allow any lawlessness or disorder in this regard,” he stated firmly.