Pappu Yadav Warns Raj Thackeray: 'Will Crush Your Arrogance Over Marathi Row'

Mumbai: Political tensions have flared once again in Maharashtra, this time over the sensitive issue of the Marathi language. Purnia MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, has issued a stern warning to Raj Thackeray, alleging "hooliganism" and threatening to come to Mumbai to "crush all his arrogance" if the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief does not put an end to it.

The controversy erupted after a victorious rally held yesterday in Worli, which saw Raj and Uddhav Thackeray—brothers who had been estranged for 18 years—share the stage in a show of unity for the Marathi identity movement. Thousands of Marathi activists had gathered at the Worli Dome for this historic event. However, the rally and its aggressive pro-Marathi stance have drawn strong reactions from political leaders outside Maharashtra.

Pappu Yadav's Reaction
Reacting strongly, Pappu Yadav criticized an incident in Bhayander, where MNS workers allegedly assaulted a shopkeeper for refusing to speak Marathi. "There is growing injustice towards Hindi-speaking people in Maharashtra. Migrants are being forced to speak Marathi—this is nothing but hooliganism," Yadav said in a fiery statement.

He further alleged that Raj Thackeray is acting on behalf of the BJP, targeting migrant workers, especially those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who he said have played a major role in the development of Mumbai and Maharashtra.
"Mumbai is not anyone’s personal property. It belongs to everyone. If this hooliganism is not stopped, I will come to Mumbai and crush Raj Thackeray’s arrogance myself," Yadav threatened.

Clarifies Uddhav Remark
In the same breath, Pappu Yadav clarified that mentioning Uddhav Thackeray in an earlier press conference was a mistake. "I have immense respect for Uddhav Thackeray," he said.

With this fresh political flare-up, all eyes are now on how Raj Thackeray will respond to Pappu Yadav’s challenge, especially as the language and migration debate continues to intensify in Maharashtra.