The Marathi-Hindi language controversy took a provocative turn on Monday after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey lashed out at Maharashtra leaders Uddhav and Raj Thackeray over the recent Mira Road incident and Raj’s comment urging supporters to “beat but don’t film” non-Marathi speakers. In a fiery statement, Dubey accused the Thackerays of playing “cheap politics” ahead of the upcoming BMC elections and dared them to step outside Maharashtra.
“You people are surviving on our money. What kind of industries do you even have?” Dubey said, adding that if they truly had the courage, they should try confronting people speaking Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, or Telugu beyond Maharashtra. “Come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu — tumko patak patak ke maarenge (you’ll be thrashed soundly),” he warned.
Dubey also invoked the Mahim dargah, challenging Raj and Uddhav to confront Hindi or Urdu speakers there, while insisting that the BJP respects Marathi and the people of Maharashtra, who “fought for India’s independence.”
Uddhav hits back: ‘They are killers of Marathi’
Responding strongly, Uddhav Thackeray called the BJP “killers of Marathi” and accused the party of stoking language-based hatred. Speaking to reporters at Vidhan Bhavan, he said, “This is nothing but an insult to Maharashtra and Marathi people.” His son and senior party leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the BJP of fuelling divide-and-rule politics for electoral gains.
UBT Sena: ‘Challenge is to all Marathis, including Fadnavis’
Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare said Dubey’s comments were not just an attack on the Thackerays, but on the entire Marathi community. “Devendra Fadnavis is also Marathi. Will he now respond to this challenge?” she asked, demanding a response from the Deputy Chief Minister.
Shinde camp distances itself from Dubey’s remark
Even the BJP’s own ally in Maharashtra, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, expressed discomfort over Dubey’s language. Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam, said, “I’m speaking not as a minister, but as a Marathi and Shiv Sainik — I cannot accept this kind of insult towards Marathi people.”
Ashish Shelar likens Mira Road incident to Pahalgam attack
The controversy stems from a recent incident in Mira Road, where MNS activists slapped a shopkeeper for not speaking in Marathi. On Sunday, BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar stoked further outrage by comparing the Mira Road attack to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. While speaking in the Maharashtra Assembly, Shelar maintained that BJP stands firm on Marathi pride but will not tolerate attacks on non-Marathi speakers.
Raj Thackeray defends MNS’s stand, questions CM’s silence
At a rally held during the MNS’s ‘Marathi Victory March’ on Saturday, Raj Thackeray justified the party’s actions. “There’s no need to slap someone unless they cross the line. Then they deserve it,” he said. Reacting to CM Fadnavis’s earlier warning against such “goondagiri,” Uddhav Thackeray had said, “If fighting for Marathi justice is goondagiri, then yes, we are goondas.”
Language tensions spark wider debate
The ongoing dispute has reignited long-standing tensions around language, identity, and inclusion in Maharashtra. With central leaders now involved and both factions of the Shiv Sena on edge, the issue appears to be snowballing into a full-blown regional standoff. The BJP, meanwhile, has not yet officially commented on whether it endorses Dubey’s remarks.
