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BJP MP Nishikant Dubey sarcastically responded to MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s threat to non-Marathi speakers, defending his comments and criticising MNS’s violent history.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and MNS chief Raj Thackeray. (File)
Amid the ongoing and intensified language row in Maharashtra, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey responded to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray over his “dubo-dubo ke maarenge” (will drown you in sea) threat, with a sarcastic dig saying he taught Hindi to the MNS chief.
While addressing a gathering in Mumbai on Friday, Thackeray publicly responded to Dubey’s earlier comments, where the BJP leader had said, “Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak-patak ke maarenge (We will beat you up mercilessly), and threatened him to drown in the sea. Tum Mumbai me aao, Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge (You come to Mumbai, we will make you drown in the sea many times),” he said amid cheers from the crowd.
The MNS leader further said that he will not make any compromises over Marathi and the people of Maharashtra. “I will not 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. Similarly, you be like a pillar and speak in Marathi only. This is what I have come to request all of you,” he added.
To this, Dubey mockingly responded, “Did I teach Hindi to Raj Thackeray?”
Meanwhile, the BJP MP further defended his patak-patak ke maarenge comments saying he would not retract them.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Dubey said, “I am proud that my mother tongue is Hindi. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are not some great monarchs. I’m an MP, and I do not take the law into my hands. But wherever they go, people will respond.”
#WATCH | On his ‘Patak Patak ke Maarenge’ remark, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey says, “I am saying this again, 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… pic.twitter.com/U0CqZa2Zix— ANI (@ANI) July 18, 2025
Referring to MNS’ violent actions against non-Marathi speakers, Dubey stated, “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.”
Raj Thackeray’s Warning
Meanwhile, Thackeray has again asserted his firm stance over the ongoing Hindi-Marathi row in Maharashtra, saying that if someone doesn’t understand Marathi, they will get a tight slap.
“Now if you can’t understand Marathi even when it’s spoken directly into your ear, you’ll get a slap below it. People create a fuss for no reason,” Raj Thackeray said while addressing a rally in Mumbai’s Mira-Bhayandar, where his party workers had assaulted a shop owner a few days ago for not speaking Marathi.
Recalling the incident and taunting the local traders for protesting against the assault on the shopkeeper, Raj Thackeray said, “Whatever happened to that person was because of his attitude. Other traders had called for a shutdown. But if someone closes their shop under pressure, understand this—how long will you keep your shop shut? If we stop buying, then what?”
Language Row In Maharashtra
The Hindi-Marathi row was ignited in the state, especially in the Mumbai metropolitan region, after opposition parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena took on the government over two GRs on the three-language policy in schools and teaching of Hindi from Class I.
Following opposition, including from Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, the Maharashtra government withdrew the resolutions.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later announced that a committee would be formed to review the policy. “The three-language formula will be implemented,” he said. “But whether Hindi should be taught from Class 1 or Class 5 is to be decided by a committee.”
Later on July 5, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS head Raj Thackeray shared a stage in Mumbai for the cause of the Marathi language, and vowed to oppose the “imposition” of Hindi in Maharashtra after the state government rolled back the GRs.
It escalated after incidents involving verbal and physical assaults, vandalism, and public intimidation by the MNS workers have been reported from various parts of the state, drawing widespread criticism and legal scrutiny.
In multiple videos that have gone viral on social media, MNS workers were seen confronting shopkeepers, auto drivers, and even bank employees for not speaking Marathi. In one incident in Mumbai, a medical shop employee was beaten and forced to apologise publicly for allegedly posting a WhatsApp status deemed disrespectful to the Marathi language. In another case from Pune, a bank manager was slapped during work hours for addressing customers in Hindi.
(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More
Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More
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