New Delhi: A video purportedly showing BJP councillor Renu Chaudhary allegedly threatening an African national for not learning Hindi has gone viral on social media, triggering criticism and debate.

In the video, Chaudhary, who represents Ward No. 196 in Patparganj, east Delhi, is heard questioning the man — a football coach who trains children at a Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) park — about why he has not learnt Hindi. She is also heard issuing an ultimatum, saying that action would be taken if he failed to learn the language within a month.

“Hindi nahi seekhi. Kyun nahi seekhi? Agar ek mahine mein Hindi nahi seekhi, toh park cheen lo inse?” (“You haven’t learnt Hindi. Why haven’t you? If you don’t learn Hindi in a month, then take him off the park”), she is heard saying in the clip. She also tells him that since he earns money in India, he should learn the language.

Responding to the controversy, Chaudhary defended her remarks, saying she had asked the coach to learn basic Hindi eight months ago but he had not complied. She alleged that the man was carrying out commercial activities inside the MCD park without paying the required revenue and had failed to address cleanliness issues raised earlier.

She further claimed that MCD staff faced difficulties communicating with him because of the language barrier. “He engages in commercial activities inside the MCD park and is supposed to pay revenue. He is teaching students, but when asked about it, he said he does not know Hindi,” she said in a separate video statement.

Chaudhary said she had even offered to pay for his Hindi tuition. “It was eight months ago that I requested him to learn the language. He did not pay heed to my request. Neither did he reduce commercial activities nor did he take steps to maintain cleanliness,” she said.

The councillor added that the man had been in India for 14 years and should have learnt basic Hindi by now, maintaining that she did not believe she had done anything wrong.