Raj Thackeray's 'dubo dubo ke maarenge' jab gets BJP MP's 'he learnt Hindi' taunt

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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has snapped back at BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's 'patak patak ke maarenge' (will thrash you) remark amid the language row in Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray said he would make Dubey drown in the sea in Mumbai, with the BJP MP taunting him, saying he taught Hindi to the MNS chief.

Addressing a rally in Mumbai on Friday, Raj Thackeray said, "A BJP MP said, 'Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarenge'. (We will thrash the Marathi-speaking people). 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.

Doubling down on his pro-Marathi stance, Raj Thackeray asserted he would not compromise on matters related to the language and said people who are living in the state should "learn Marathi soon".

"I will not make any compromises over Marathi and the people of Maharashtra. Those who live in Maharashtra, I would like to tell them that 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 should be like a pillar and speak in Marathi only," he said.

Slamming the Maharashtra government over the now-scrapped three-language policy, Raj Thackeray said, "Devendra Fadnavis had said he would make Hindi compulsory (in schools). He is fighting for Hindi. Marathi should be made mandatory in all schools. But instead, you are speaking about making Hindi mandatory."

Recently, the Maharashtra government revoked the government resolutions (GRs) on the three-language policy, introducing Hindi as the third language in primary schools. The first GR made Hindi a compulsory third language for students from Classes 1 to 5 while the second GR made the language optional.

Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray alleged that a "few Gujarati businessmen" were trying to create a rift between Mumbai and 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 said.

Earlier, Dubey, a Lok Sabha member from Jharkhand, made the remarks saying, "To those beating Hindi speakers in Mumbai. If you have the courage, try beating Urdu speakers in Maharashtra. Even a dog is a tiger in its own home. Decide for yourself who is the dog and who is the tiger. Tumko patak patak ke maarenge."

His remarks drew widespread condemnation from the BJP, with Fadnavis calling his statements "ill-advised" and warning they could sow "confusion in the minds of people".

Defending his 'patak patak ke maarenge' remarks, Dubey said he stood by what he said and stressed he was proud of his mother tongue, Hindi.

"I am saying this again that 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 settle anywhere in this country. But they beat up those who are Hindi speakers. Even today, only 31-32 per cent of Marathi speakers live in Mumbai. I accept that Maharashtra has a huge contribution to the economy, I have huge respect for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," he had told news agency ANI in an interview.

"I am proud that my mother tongue is Hindi. Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are not laat sahabs (entitled persons). I am an MP, do not take law in my hands. Whenever they go out, whichever state they go, the people of that place will beat them," he had added, reacting to incidents of non-locals being beaten up by MNS workers in Maharashtra for not knowing Marathi.

- Ends

(with inputs from agencies)

Published By:

Prateek Chakraborty

Published On:

Jul 19, 2025

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