‘DNA of Mumbai is Hindu’: BJP leader Nitesh Rane’s controversial remark amid language row in Maharashtra

Union minister Narayan Rane's son Nitesh was speaking about the theory that Hindus were ‘being singled out’ among those not using Marathi in public spaces

Updated on: Jul 11, 2025, 17:38:11 IST

By HT News Desk

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BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane on Friday said that he have become an MLA with the support of Hindu voters amid ongoing tensions over the Marathi language issue in Mumbai.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nitesh Narayan Rane (ANI)

Addressing a public gathering, Rane said, “The ones wearing round caps and beards did not vote for me. I have become an MLA with the votes of Hindus.”

He further added, “If I do not support Hindus, will I support those who speak Urdu? They are green snakes… The DNA of Mumbai is Hindu.”

Rane, who is the son of union minister Narayan Rane, was responding to recent debates surrounding the usage of the Marathi language and allegations that Hindus were being singled out for not using Marathi in public spaces.

Nitesh Rane had earlier crticised Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's joint rally in Mumbai, dubbing it as a joint rally of "jihadi and anti-Hindu gathering" aimed at dividing society and weakening the state.

The estranged brothers from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT) shared stage after 20 years, in a rally targeting the alleged Hindi language imposition in the state.

Hindi-Marathi row in Maharashtra

The latest comments come in the backdrop of a simmering Hindi-Marathi row that has sparked protests across the state.

The controversy began in April when the state government mandated the inclusion of Hindi as a compulsory third language in all state-run primary schools. The move drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders, civil society groups, and language activists, who accused the BJP-led administration of attempting to impose Hindi in a Marathi-speaking state.

Facing mounting pressure, the government ultimately withdrew the policy.

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