A war of words between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian Nishikant Dubey has escalated into a full-blown political controversy in Maharashtra.
What started as a duel on language policy has now snowballed into a war of words in the public arena, with both sides trading provocative statements.
The row intensified after the Maharashtra government recently revoked two Government Resolutions (GRs) which had made Hindi an obligatory third language in primary education. The move came after opposition protests rekindled old rivalries of linguistic identity.
Raj Thackeray, who has been known to use strong pro-Marathi diatribe, attacked Dubey's previous words with a hot temper warning: "A BJP MP said, 'Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarenge'. You come to Mumbai. Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge," he declared in a fiery speech in Mumbai. The remark has caused widespread anger across party lines.
Dubey, however, held his ground. "I am proud that my mother language is Hindi. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are not big laat sahabs. I am an MP, do not take law in my hands. Whenever they step out, whichever state they step into, the people of that region will beat them," he stated on Friday, in support of his infamous statement.
The comments have attracted criticism even from the leaders in the BJP alliance. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC criticized the tone and content of the conversation. "What is this 'patak patak ke maarna', 'duba duba ke maarna'? Get out of this thought and tell us your vision plan for Maharashtra… This hooligan politics won't work anywhere," she told ANI.
Today, we need to realize that we are moving towards a Viksit Maharashtra, Viksit Bharat. Make positive utterances over that. This 'maarna, peetna, ghus ke kanoon ko apne haath mein lena' does not suit anyone," she said.
BJP's senior leader Sudhir Mungantiwar struck the same chord, stating, "Koi kisi ko samundar mein duba ke maar nahi sakta. We respect the Constitution in this country. If you are going to drown someone, there would be a few Police personnel who would restrain you."
Congress leader Surendra Rajput took it further, terming Dubey's comments as perilous. "Nishikant Dubey is the adversary of the entire north India, he is putting people in danger in Mumbai. He is giving unnecessary comments on the issue of language, just to attract the attention of PM Modi, somewhere he has become mentally unstable," he said to PTI.
Demanding a balanced reaction, Rajput said, "It is the requirement to unite the country, and not disintegrate. Whatever Raj Thackeray is uttering, the same action should be also against him."
In Delhi, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal rejected Raj Thackeray's comments as politically motivated and inflammatory. "I think Raj Thackeray's words are very bad… He doesn't have any political grip now. That's why he has allied with Uddhav Thackeray. I deplore the words said by Raj Thackeray," he said in an interview with news agency PTI.
While addressing, Raj Thackeray did not spare words of criticism against the leadership of the state. He targeted Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, stating, "Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis had said that they would make Hindi language compulsory (in schools). Maharashtra CM is fighting for Hindi. Marathi should be made mandatory in all schools. But instead, you are talking about making Hindi mandatory."
He also issued a warning of what he termed as a wider conspiracy to sideline Marathi-speaking communities in Mumbai. "A few Gujarati businessmen" are attempting to split Mumbai off from Maharashtra, he alleged, going on to say, "They are testing us. If we keep quiet, Hindi would be the first step; their intention is to take over and transfer everything to Gujarat."
The growing language controversy is a politically delicate moment, given that parties in Maharashtra are readied for crucial electoral confrontations. What began as a dispute over the language policy of schools has rapidly been transformed into a heated battle for cultural identity, regional pride, and national cohesion — with potentially significant political repercussions.
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