Raj Thackeray warned migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar over the “imposition” of Hindi.
Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has issued a blunt warning to migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who come to the state for work, over the imposition of the Hindi language. As Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray reunited for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, the MNS chief stated that he doesn’t hate Hindi but “if you (UP, Bihar migrants) try to impose it, I will kick you.”
What Did Raj Thackeray Say?
“People from UP and Bihar should understand that Hindi is not your language. I do not hate the language. But if you try to impose it, I will kick you,” Raj said. When the MNS chief made the statement, he received loud cheers from the crowd for his linguistic pitch ahead of the January 15 polls.
Last Election For The Marathi Man
Calling the civic polls crucial, Raj warned that people are coming from across the country to Maharashtra and snatching locals job, adding that losing land and language would mean the end.
“This is the last election for the Marathi man. If you miss this opportunity today, you will be finished. Unite for Marathi and Maharashtra,” Raj added. He also invoked about the sacrifices that were made to secure Mumbai as part of the state. “Mumbai was obtained through the sacrifices of so many people. What will we tell them?,” he said.
The Reunion
Uddhav Thackeray recently stated that the political reunion with the MNS was made because what he described as an existential threat to Mumbai.
Attending the last joint rally in Mumbai before the civic polls, Uddhav stated that he and Raj both set aside their differences “for the Marathi manoos, Hindus and Maharashtra”.
Raj stated that the reunion of the cousin brothers was driven by a shared assessment that the Maximum City is facing a serious danger.
BJP Pushing Hindi
Both the cousin brothers slammed the BJP, accusing it of pursuing a cultural and economic agenda that undermined the state’s interests.
Raj further connected the language row over the three-language formula and the proposal to make Hindi mandatory for Classes 1 to 5 to a broader agenda.
“There is no anger against any language, but against its imposition,” he said.
Both the leaders further accused the saffron party of “looting” Mumbai. Raj stated that the BJP, after coming to power in 2014, consistently favoured Gautam Adani’s Adani Group.
