Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey engaging in a war of words. The controversy began when Raj Thackeray and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray took an aggressive stance on the Marathi language issue, prompting Nishikant Dubey to challenge them. Dubey dared the Thackeray brothers to venture outside Maharashtra, specifically to Bihar, Tamil Nadu, or Uttar Pradesh, claiming they would be thrashed if they did so.
Recent Developments
Raj Thackeray responded to Dubey's remarks by saying, "You come to Mumbai. Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge" ("We'll drown you in the Mumbai sea"). Dubey, however, remains unapologetic about his earlier statement, "Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarenge" ("We'll thrash Marathi people repeatedly"). Dubey questioned why no action was taken against him, despite his comments being widely reported.
Escalating Tensions
The verbal spat between the two leaders has sparked sharp criticism, even from within the BJP alliance. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC questioned the tone and focus of the discourse, stating, "What is this ‘patak patak ke maarna’, ‘duba duba ke maarna’? Rise out of this mindset and tell us your vision plan for Maharashtra… This politics of hooliganism does not work anywhere." BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar also condemned Thackeray's remarks, saying no one can drown someone in the sea and get away with it.
Reactions
Raj Thackeray's Stance: Thackeray emphasized the importance of the Marathi language and warned against imposing Hindi in schools. He urged residents of Maharashtra to learn Marathi and take pride in speaking it.
Nishikant Dubey's Response: Dubey defended his statements, stating he stands by his words and is proud of his mother tongue, Hindi. He accused the Thackerays of targeting migrants and claimed that people from other regions would retaliate if attacked.
Congress Leader's Reaction: Congress leader Surendra Rajput called Dubey "the enemy of the whole of north India" and accused him of making unnecessary comments on the language issue to gain attention.
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