Raj Thackeray: Hindi is not national language; North Indians behind rise in crimes

Asserting that his stance on north Indians in Mumbai is still unchanged, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday blamed migrants from Hindi-speaking states for creating a "mess" in the city.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray. ANI Photo

MUMBAI: Asserting that his stance on north Indians in Mumbai is still unchanged, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday blamed migrants from Hindi-speaking states for creating a "mess" in the city. He accused people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar of robbing Maharashtrians of their jobs and for increase in crime in Mumbai and the state. Thackeray, known for his strong stand against Hindi-speaking people living in Mumbai, was addressing an event by a representative body of North Indians here. "Around 48 trains full of people come here from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand and go empty. How big is the city and how many people it can accommodate? The Mumbai Police is also present in the event. Ask them. Those who come here from UP, Bihar and Jharkhand commit crimes," Thackeray said, adding that he won't tolerate anyone "who comes to Mumbai and teases our daughters and sisters". He said Maharashtrians should get priority in all sections of the state, such as jobs, education etc. "I am not here. It's the fault of those who couldn't develop states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Though most of the prime ministers have come from UP, its leaders have failed to empower the state," he said. "Respect the state you migrate to and also learn its language." Thackeray said he has not come to the event to give any clarification but to convey his stance in Hindi.  "If there are job opportunities in Maharashtra, is it wrong that youth of Maharashtra be given first priority? If an industry is set up in UP tomorrow, then youth there should be given first preference, the same should happen in Bihar, what is wrong in it," he asked. The MNS chief said it's wrong to say that Hindi is the national language as no decision has been made in this regard. "Hindi is undoubtedly a beautiful language but it's wrong that it's the national language. Never ever was a decision made upon national language. Like there's the Hindi language, there's Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, all of these are the languages of this nation," he said. The event was organised by the Uttar Bhartiya Mahapanchayat Sangh in suburban Kandivali. The mahapanchayat sangh, a forum which claims to work for the welfare of North Indians living here, had last month invited Thackeray to attend its meeting and share his views on Hindi-speaking people working in Mumbai. In the past, the MNS, which advocates "sons-of-the-soil" theory, had launched a series of agitations against North Indians living in the financial capital.