New Delhi, June 24: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey escalated the political heat on Monday by lashing out at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray over their recent comments on language and regional identity, calling it “cheap politics” ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Dubey’s Outburst: “You People Are Surviving on Our Money”
Without naming them directly, Dubey launched a fiery tirade:
“Tumko patak patak ke maarenge” (You will be thrashed again and again)
“You are saying people will have to speak Marathi. Whose roti are you eating? Tata, Birla, Reliance — they’re not exclusive to Maharashtra. Tata built its first factory here (in Bihar). You people are surviving on our money.”
Dubey’s remarks came in response to Raj Thackeray’s controversial advice to his party workers to “hit below the eardrums” of those who engage in “drama” over speaking Marathi, but not to record the beatings.
“Come Out of Maharashtra,” Dares Dubey
“If you have the courage to hit Hindi speakers, then try doing it with those who speak Urdu, Tamil, or Telugu. Come to Bihar, UP, or Tamil Nadu — ‘tumko patak patak ke maarenge’. This anarchy won’t work,” Dubey added, daring Thackeray to test his rhetoric outside Maharashtra.
Raj Thackeray’s Original Comment
At a rally in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray said:
“Be it Gujarati or anyone else, they must know Marathi. But there’s no need to beat people for not speaking it. But if someone does useless drama, hit below their eardrums.”
He added: “Don’t record the beating. Let the person say they’ve been beaten.”
This rally also marked a rare public reunion between Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, who came together on stage after 20 years.
Shiv Sena’s Counterattack: “Who Made Him the Gatekeeper of Hindi?”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi was quick to hit back:
Who made him the gatekeeper of Hindi?
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) July 7, 2025
Who made him the tax keeper of India?
Who made him the spokesperson of industrialists?
Who made him the decision maker of what other party leaders should be doing?
Does @Dev_Fadnavis ji agree with their party MP’s language with regards to… https://t.co/CWubjlO174
“Who made him the gatekeeper of Hindi? Who made him the tax keeper of India? Who made him the spokesperson of industrialists?”
She also questioned if Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis endorses the tone and content of Dubey’s remarks:
“Does @Dev_Fadnavis ji agree with this language and these disparaging comments about hardworking people of Maharashtra?”
Chaturvedi also slammed BJP leader Ashish Shelar for comparing Marathi Hindus to Pahalgam terrorists, asking if the BJP leadership condones such comparisons.
With BMC elections around the corner, tensions are rising fast. The language identity debate is now at the forefront of political discourse in Maharashtra — drawing national attention and sparking sharp exchanges across party lines.