“Did I Teach Hindi to Raj Thackeray?”: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey Hits Back Amid Heated Language Row

New Delhi: The language row in Maharashtra continues to intensify as BJP MP Nishikant Dubey responded sharply to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s threat, asking, “Did I teach Hindi to Raj Thackeray?” This statement came after Raj Thackeray, at a public rally in Mira-Bhayandar, reacted to Dubey’s earlier comment—“Raj Thackeray ko hum yahan pe patak-patak ke maarenge”—by warning, “You come to Mumbai, Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo-dubo ke maarenge.”

Speaking to news agency, Dubey defended his remarks and refused to back down, stating, “I am proud that my mother tongue is Hindi. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are not some great monarchs. I’m an MP, and I do not take the law into my hands. But wherever they go, people will respond.” He also remarked, “If you beat up the poor, they will retaliate one day,” referring to past MNS actions. He accused the MNS of having a history of targeting various communities, saying, “They protested against Gujaratis in 1956, then against South Indians, and now they are doing it against Hindi speakers. Their history is such that everyone is angry at them.”

Raj Thackeray, in his address, said he had no objection to any language but stood firmly against the imposition of Hindi. He stated, “I will not make any compromises over Marathi and the people of Maharashtra. Those who live in Maharashtra should learn Marathi as soon as possible. Wherever you go, speak Marathi.”

The controversy erupted after two government resolutions were issued in April mandating Hindi as the third compulsory language for students in Classes 1 to 5 in Maharashtra. Following strong opposition from Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, the Maharashtra government withdrew the resolutions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later announced that a committee would be formed to review the policy, stating, “The three-language formula will be implemented, but whether Hindi should be taught from Class 1 or Class 5 is to be decided by a committee.”

Raj Thackeray, while addressing the crowd, warned that any move to reintroduce the policy would lead to widespread agitation. “When they tried it once, we had shut down shops, and now we will not hesitate to shut down schools if Hindi is imposed from Class 1 to 5,” he said.