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Dubey’s statement comes in reference to an earlier remark where Dubey had said that if MNS chief Raj Thackeray travels to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, he would be beaten up.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey (PTI Image)
Days after BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s remark amid the ongoing Hindi-Marathi row sparked a controversy in Maharashtra, he has now issued a clarification saying that if the Thackeray family “resorts to violence on the basis of language, that is completely unacceptable to us.”
“As far as my statement is concerned, I said that Maharashtra has made a significant contribution to the freedom movement. Just as there is respect for the Marathi language and culture, there is also respect for Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu,” said Dubey.
“Similarly, people love every regional language and culture. People from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and other states also love their language and culture just as much. If the Thackeray family resorts to violence on the basis of language, that is completely unacceptable to us,” he added.
His latest statement comes in reference to an earlier remark where Dubey had said that if Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray travels to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, he would be beaten up.
“You people are surviving on our money. What kind of industries do you have?… If you are courageous enough and beat those who speak Hindi, then you should beat all those who speak Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu. If you are such a big ‘boss’, come out of Maharashtra, come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu—‘tumkopatak patak ke maarenge’… We all respect Marathi and the people of Maharashtra, who fought for India’s independence,” Dubey had said.
This sparked a row, drawing massive criticism to Dubey.
While Maharashtra Congress Chief Harshvardhan Sakpal accused the BJP of being “communal” and trying to “divide people on the basis of language,” he said, “This Dubey is a prime example of how BJP is communal and polarising. Now, with the Bihar election after dividing on a religious and caste basis, they want to divide people on a language basis. We will not allow that.”
Congress leader Harish Rawat said the BJP MP’s remarks were politically motivated. Rawat said, “…BJP puts forward Nishikant Dubey wherever it wants to spread venom in the society…There is no big difference between Hindi and Marathi. Bollywood is the powerhouse of Hindi and it has promoted Hindi all over the world…Whatever is happening in the BJP today is the result of the BJP’s conspiracy to divide Marathi and non-Marathi voters to win elections.”
The language row in Maharashtra began after some traders in Mumbai were allegedly attacked by MNS workers for not speaking Marathi.
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