The Marathi-Hindi language spat escalated on Monday following a bitter attack by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against Maharashtra's political leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, after a controversial episode in Mira Road and Raj's recent public statement urging supporters to "beat but don't film" non-Marathis.
In a strongly-worded attack, Dubey charged the Thackeray cousins with playing "cheap politics" with an eye on the upcoming BMC polls.
He questioned their grip beyond the state, asserting, "You people are living off our money. What sort of industries do you even have?" He challenged them to attempt to go against Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, or Telugu speakers in other states.
"Come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu — tumko patak patak ke maarenge (you'll be thrashed soundly)," he threatened.
The BJP MP also cited the Mahim Dargah, challenging the Thackerays to confront speakers of Hindi or Urdu there if they had guts. While criticizing him, Dubey asserted that the BJP holds the Marathi language and people of Maharashtra in great respect, as he attributed to them making great contributions to India's struggle for freedom.
In a swift response, Uddhav Thackeray branded the BJP as "killers of Marathi" and communalizing linguistic differences. Speaking to the media at Vidhan Bhavan, he remarked, "This is nothing but an insult to Maharashtra and Marathi people." His son Aaditya Thackeray shared the same view, accusing the BJP of using divisive politics for electoral advantage.
Sena (UBT) legislator Sushma Andhare extended the issue, labeling Dubey's statement not only a personal insult to the Thackerays but an insult to the entire Marathi community. "Devendra Fadnavis is also Marathi. Will he now answer this challenge?" she demanded, calling for a public response from the Deputy Chief Minister.
Even the BJP's own ally in Maharashtra, the Eknath Shinde group of Shiv Sena, reacted with misgivings. Yogesh Kadam, Minister of State for Home, dissociated himself from Dubey's tone. "I'm not speaking as a minister, but as a Marathi and Shiv Sainik — I cannot accept this kind of insult towards Marathi people," he said.
The row follows a recent incident of slapping a shopkeeper by MNS members for failing to speak Marathi. BJP Mumbai leader Ashish Shelar courted anger by comparing the incident to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in his address to the Maharashtra Assembly. Shelar claimed that while BJP holds Marathi pride sacred, it is against any kind of aggression against non-Marathis.
On Saturday, at an MNS rally named 'Marathi Victory March', Raj Thackeray stood up for his party's actions. "There's no need to hit someone unless they step out of line. Then they deserve it," he stated. Countering Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's previous denunciation of the MNS's actions as "goondagiri", Uddhav retorted: "If the fight for Marathi justice is goondagiri, then yes, we are goondas. With both Shiv Sena factions on notice and national leaders now becoming part of the controversy, the conflict is reaching a full-blown regional showdown. The BJP has not yet clarified whether it endorses Nishikant Dubey's words officially.
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