‘We're Accused Of Harassing Biharis, But…': Raj Thackeray's New Offensive Amid Marathi Row
Raj Thackeray accused BJP of double standards on regional identity. He criticised Maharashtra for hosting a Gujarati Sahitya Sammelan amid the Hindi-Marathi row.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the BJP and accused the party of having a double standard over protecting regional identity, saying that the BJP in Gujarat calls for protecting the state's language and culture, but anyone who does the same in Maharashtra is defamed.
While addressing a gathering in Maharashtra's Raigad, the MNS chief claimed that Biharis were expelled from Gujarat twice, but these very people who led these anti-Bihari protests and drove them out of Gujarat were later accepted into the BJP party and made MLAs.
He further said those who advocate for Marathi and culture are unfairly criticised for harassing outsiders, while a double standard exists elsewhere.
'We are accused of harassing outsiders by raising the issue of Hindi-Marathi, but Biharis were driven out of Gujarat twice. The people who protested against Biharis there, beat them, and drove them out of the state were taken into the BJP party and made MLAs. They keep their state organised, but in other states, if anyone talks about protecting their language and culture, then they are defamed," he said as quoted by news agency ANI.
He further lashed out at the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government for organise a Gujarati Sahitya Sammelan in Maharashtra at government expense amid the language row.
He said that it had been deliberately organised to provoke the MNS so that the party workers would react and the BJP would get a chance to do politics.
'The Maharashtra government is going to organise a Gujarati Sahitya Sammelan at government expense. The government has done this deliberately so that we react to it, and the government gets a chance to do politics. We will not be influenced by the government. But when we feel that the government is taking steps to destroy Maharashtra, then we will raise our voice. All of you stay alert and keep a close watch on what the government is doing," he added.
Language Row In Maharashtra
Thackeray's remarks came amid a Hindi-Marathi language row in Maharashtra. The row was ignited in the state, especially in the Mumbai metropolitan region, after opposition parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS took on the government over two GRs on the three-language policy in schools and teaching of Hindi from Class I.
Following opposition, including from Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, the Maharashtra government withdrew the resolutions.
Later on July 5, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS head Raj Thackeray shared a stage in Mumbai for the cause of the Marathi language, and vowed to oppose the 'imposition" of Hindi in Maharashtra after the state government rolled back the GRs.
It escalated after incidents involving verbal and physical assaults, vandalism, and public intimidation by the MNS workers have been reported from various parts of the state, drawing widespread criticism and legal scrutiny.
In multiple videos that have gone viral on social media, MNS workers were seen confronting shopkeepers, auto drivers, and even bank employees for not speaking Marathi. In one incident in Mumbai, a medical shop employee was beaten and forced to apologise publicly for allegedly posting a WhatsApp status deemed disrespectful to the Marathi language. In another case from Pune, a bank manager was slapped during work hours for addressing customers in Hindi.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Raigad, India, India
First Published:
August 02, 2025, 20:41 IST
News india 'We're Accused Of Harassing Biharis, But…': Raj Thackeray's New Offensive Amid Marathi Row
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