BJP MP Dubey's remarks aimed at provoking people shouldn't be responded to Imtiaz Jaleel

    Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jul 7 (PTI) AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel on Monday cautioned politicians, including the Thackeray cousins, against walking into a political trap of the BJP to derive political mileage after MP Nishikant Dubey's reported "patak patak ke marenge" remarks caused a flutter.
    Amid an outrage over MNS thrashing a shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi, Jaleel said Dubey's remarks are apparently aimed at provoking people to react in a certain way, which will eventually benefit the saffron party.
    "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," Dubey posted on X.
    Responding to "patak patak ke marenge" (will thrash you) remarks attributed to Dubey, AIMIM leader Jaleel said it was a calculated provocation.
    "He (Dubey) had made certain provocative remarks in the past. If leaders in Maharashtra respond to his latest rant, it will benefit the BJP. His remarks shouldn't be given any importance," Jaleel, who heads the Maharashtra unit of the All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), told PTI.
    He alleged Dubey was apparently trying to instigate the people of Maharashtra and provoke them to react in a certain way.
    "I appeal to political leaders in Maharashtra, especially the Thackeray cousins, not to be provoked by these remarks," he added.
    What began as a row over the "imposition" of Hindi language in primary schools in Maharashtra has manifested into a Marathi vs Hindi slanging match ahead of the civic polls, fuelled by attacks on non-Maharashtrian people by MNS for not speaking Hindi.
    Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, who head Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS respectively, shared a stage after nearly 20 years for the cause of the Marathi language and vowed to oppose the “imposition” of Hindi after the state government rolled back the GRs introducing Hindi as a third language in primary schools.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)