Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday lashed out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey for his recent controversial remark "patak-patak ke maarenge", asserting that the dignity of Marathi language and people will not be compromised under any circumstances.

Addressing a public gathering in Mumbai, Thackeray responded sharply by saying, "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."

Reaffirming his commitment to Marathi pride, Thackeray urged residents of Maharashtra to adopt and promote the Marathi language in their daily lives. “Those who live in Maharashtra, to them I would like to say 'learn Marathi as soon as possible, wherever you go, speak Marathi'. In Karnataka, they fight for their language. Even a rickshaw puller knows that the Government is standing behind him over language,” he said, adding that similar cultural unity must be displayed in Maharashtra.

He also took aim at the Maharashtra leadership, criticising the move to make Hindi mandatory in schools. “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 speaking about making Hindi mandatory,” he said, questioning the state’s stance on language policy.

Thackeray further accused certain business interests of attempting to create divisions between Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra. “A few Gujarati businessmen had planned to cause a rift between Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra...They have had their eyes set on Mumbai for years. They are testing us. They are seeing if Maharashtra would oppose the Hindi language being mandated. If we remain mum, Hindi would be the first step; their plan is to take control and send everything to Gujarat,” he warned.

The language debate intensified after the Maharashtra government recently withdrew two government resolutions related to the three-language policy in primary schools, one of which proposed making Hindi a compulsory third language for students in Classes 1 to 5. The resolutions sparked backlash, prompting the state to roll them back and form a new committee to review the policy.

Reacting to the decision, Dubey reiterated his earlier position, defending his controversial remarks in an interview with ANI. He claimed that Hindi speakers in Maharashtra face hostility and insisted that any Indian has the constitutional right to settle and work anywhere in the country.

“I stand by my statements. This nation is diverse, and all its people have a strong affection for their region...If Maharashtra is a part of this country, then anyone can be settled anywhere in this country...But they beat up those who are Hindi language speakers...Even today, only 31-32% Marathi speakers live in Mumbai,” Dubey said, further accusing leaders like Raj and Uddhav Thackeray of instigating past agitations against various communities.

“If you beat up the poor, they will react one day. It is not only Hindi speakers. They protested against Gujaratis in 1956, then against South Indians, and now they are doing it against Hindi speakers. Their history is such that everyone is angry at them,” Dubey added. He also challenged the leaders’ security cover, saying, “Take away their security and then we’ll see how brave they really are.”

The withdrawal of the controversial resolutions was celebrated jointly by Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, who hailed it as a victory for Marathi identity and public pressure.

ANI inputs