Raj Thackeray (L), BJP MP Nishikant Dubey
Credit: PTI Photos
Mumbai: In a strong political statement, Raj Thackeray on Friday said that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will not have any relations with those who do not care for Marathi pride and language even as he warned of a design to separate Mumbai and include it in Gujarat.
“There is a design to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra and include in Gujarat…it has already started from Palghar district…slowly they would dominate Mumbai and the include it in Gujarat,” Raj said addressing a public rally at Mira Road in Thane district, which just a week ago saw a major morcha on the issue of Marathi pride.
“This is the motive of some Gujarati leaders and some Gujarati politicians,” said Raj.
Raj said that the idea that Mumbai should not be included in Maharashtra came first from former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, who is considered as the Iron Man of India and then former Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
“I have said earlier…we are Hindus, not Hindi…don’t try and introduce Hindi in the name of Hindutva…we will not tolerate that,” warned Raj.
“Let me make it very clear…we (MNS) will not have any relations with anyone who does not care for Marathi,” said Raj, which was a political statement in the run up to the local bodies elections in Maharashtra.
The Mira Road rally comes barely a fortnight after Raj shared a dais with his cousin and Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray on the issue of Marathi language and Marathi pride.
Dares Nishikant Dubey
Raj also dared BJP MP Nishikant Dubey to come to Mumbai. “There is one Dubey…see his guts…he says ‘patak patak ke marange’….come to Mumbai…there is Arabian Sea here…hub 'duba duba' ke marange,” Raj said. “They may be having power in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha…we have power in the streets,” he said in what was a message to the BJP.
Slams Devendra Fadnavis
Raj also slammed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for advocating Hindi as the third language. “He says that come what may they introduce Hindi…and he is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra…under whose pressure he is,” he said in what seems to be a criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Try and impose Hindi…it would be suicidal (for BJP),” he warned the CM.
Hindi killed 250 languages
Raj said that Hindi killed 250 plus languages in India. “Hindi killed Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Braj, Magadhi, Kangri, Garwali,” he said. “Let me tell you….the Hanuman Chalisa that you recite is not Hindi…it is Avadhi,” he said. “Hindi is not a bad language, I respect it…I myself speak very good Hindi…my father (late Shrikant Thackeray) was proficient in Marathi, English, Hindi and Urdu,” he added amid thunderous applause.
Marathi has rich history
Raj said that Marathi has a very rich history of 2,500 to 3,000 years. “Marathi language has been granted classical language status…at the Shivaji Park rally (during Lok Sabha polls of 2024) I have made five requests to the Prime Minister…one of them as granting classical language status…it was done,” he said.