BJP MP Nishikant Dubey retaliates against Raj Thackeray's 'Hindi opposition' statement. He called the politics of Marathi identity cheap popularity and challenged Thackeray to come and compete in Bihar-UP.
New Delhi: The decision to make Hindi compulsory as a third language in Maharashtra has sparked a new political debate. After Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray opposed Hindi, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey reacted sharply, targeting both leaders.
Controversy over Raj Thackeray's statement
During a rally in Mumbai, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray stated, "Beat them, but don't make a video." This comment was in reference to the ongoing opposition to the Hindi language in Maharashtra. Following his statement, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey reacted sharply and openly challenged the Thackeray brothers.
Nishikant Dubey's counterattack
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey from Jharkhand said that the Thackeray brothers thrive on the hard-earned money of the people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He said, "Which industry do you have? If you have the guts, attack those who speak Urdu, Tamil or Telugu too. If you consider yourself so powerful, then come out of Maharashtra and see. Come to Bihar and UP, we will thrash you."
Dubey also said that he respects the Marathi language and the contribution of Maharashtra, but the Thackeray brothers are only trying to gain cheap popularity for the BMC elections.
Background of the linguistic dispute
This dispute began when the Maharashtra government issued an order to make Hindi compulsory as a third language along with Marathi and English from classes one to five under the National Education Policy 2020. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray both bly opposed this decision.
Raj Thackeray said, "This is a conspiracy to impose Hindi. Only the Marathi agenda will run in Maharashtra." MNS workers took to the streets to protest on this issue.
Uddhav Thackeray's support
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also called the government's policy against Maharashtra's linguistic identity. He said that the state government should withdraw this decision immediately. Considering the pressure of the public and political tension, the government finally had to withdraw this decision.
Marathi Victory Day: Demonstration of united protest
On July 5, 2025, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray held a joint rally in Mumbai. This rally was celebrated as 'Marathi Victory Day'. Initially, this rally was against making Hindi the third language in schools, but when the government withdrew this policy, it was turned into a 'celebration of victory'.
