New Delhi/Mumbai | Qalam Times Correspondent
“Patak Patak Ke Marenge”:In a blistering political face-off, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has thrown down the gauntlet to Maharashtra leaders Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray, daring them to replicate their aggression towards Hindi-speaking individuals outside Maharashtra. “Come to UP or Bihar—patak patak ke marenge (you will be thrashed black and blue),” Dubey declared, sharply criticizing the recent spate of attacks on vendors and workers who couldn’t speak Marathi.
The Godda MP’s remarks come in the wake of a viral video from Mumbai’s Mira Road area, where workers from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) allegedly slapped and abused a shopkeeper after he said he couldn’t speak Marathi. The incident sparked nationwide outrage, with many accusing the MNS of promoting linguistic chauvinism.
Addressing the matter, Dubey told ANI, “If the Thackeray brothers really have courage, let them go to Mahim Dargah and try to assault someone who speaks Urdu, just as they did to a Hindi-speaking vendor. Let them go to Tamil Nadu or Bihar and try this. Patak patak ke marenge—the people there won’t spare them.”
The controversy intensified after the Maharashtra government scrapped its three-language formula following stiff resistance from both Raj and Uddhav Thackeray. The policy, aimed at mandating instruction in Hindi, Marathi, and English, was labeled “Hindi imposition” by both leaders, who have historically opposed the spread of Hindi in the Marathi-speaking state.
Raj Thackeray further inflamed the debate by instructing his party workers to act—but discreetly. “If you beat someone, don’t make a video. Let the person himself say he was beaten—you don’t have to tell the world,” he said during a recent rally.
Responding with fury, Dubey alleged that Maharashtra thrives on the economic backbone of Hindi-speaking states. “Industries based in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh generate wealth and pay taxes in Maharashtra. Companies like Tata and Reliance owe much of their profit to these regions. What does Maharashtra produce by itself?” he asked. “These attacks are not just cowardly—they are shameful and regressive.”
While the BJP leader’s comments drew applause from some quarters, they also invited criticism. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) leader and BJP ally Yogesh Kadam expressed displeasure. “Such arrogance doesn’t suit a senior parliamentarian. We don’t endorse this tone. No one should talk like this, least of all someone who has been elected four times,” he said.
Notably, Raj and Uddhav Thackeray recently appeared together for the first time in nearly two decades at a rally celebrating the withdrawal of the three-language policy. Though Uddhav clarified that he is not against the Hindi language, he reiterated his resistance to its forced inclusion in Maharashtra’s educational system.
As this language war spirals into a larger ideological clash, the phrase “patak patak ke marenge” has become symbolic of the growing political and regional polarization gripping parts of the country.
— Qalam Times News Network
