I don’t speak Marathi, drive me out if you can: Bhojpuri actor Nirahua dares Thackeray cousins
Mumbai: Amid ongoing tensions over language in Maharashtra, Bhojpuri actor and BJP MP Dinesh Lal Yadav, popularly known as Nirahua, has thrown a direct challenge to the Thackeray cousins. Responding to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) actions targeting non-Marathi speakers, Nirahua told reporters, “I do not speak Marathi. I speak Bhojpuri and live in Maharashtra. If you have the courage, try and drive me out.”
The remark follows a series of attacks allegedly by MNS workers on individuals for not speaking Marathi, including the recent assault on a sweet shop owner in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The controversy comes ahead of civic polls, with tensions rising after MNS workers vandalised the office of share market investor Sushil Kedia in Worli. Kedia had publicly declared that he would not speak Marathi and challenged MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar compared the attacks on Hindi-speaking people to the Pahalgam terror attack, stating that in both cases, individuals were targeted based on identity. He criticised the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), saying they are using Marathi pride for political gains.
The language row intensified after Uddhav and Raj Thackeray shared the stage after two decades, protesting against the introduction of Hindi as a third language in primary schools—a move recently withdrawn by the state government.
Reacting to the development, Shiv Sena MLA and state minister Pratap Sarnaik credited Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for securing classical language status for Marathi and alleged that the alliance between Sena (UBT) and MNS is aimed at regaining control over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Shelar also claimed the ruling Mahayuti would outperform the opposition in the upcoming civic elections, asserting that Marathi is not a political issue for the BJP.
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Protests over rising prices spread across Iran as students join demonstrations
Tehran: Protests triggered by Iran’s worsening economic conditions spread to universities and commercial centres on Tuesday. Students joined shopkeepers and traders in demonstrations against soaring prices and the sharp fall of the national currency, according to semi-official media reports.
The unrest comes as the Iranian rial hit a record low, sliding to around 1.4 million against the US dollar on the open market, according to a Reuters. The currency has lost nearly half its value this year, while inflation reached 42.5 per cent in December, official data showed.
Semi-official Fars News Agency reported that hundreds of students staged protests at four universities in Tehran. Footage verified by Reuters showed groups of demonstrators marching through streets in the capital, chanting slogans, while state television broadcast images of gatherings in central areas of the city.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said late on Monday that he had instructed the interior minister to engage with protesters and listen to what he described as their legitimate demands. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said authorities would set up a dialogue mechanism that could include talks with protest leaders.
“We officially recognise the protests. We hear the voices of the people and understand that these demonstrations stem from pressure on livelihoods,” Mohajerani said in remarks carried by state media.
On social media platforms, several Iranians expressed support for the protests, warning that public anger over rising prices, corruption and economic inequality could spread further across the country.
Iran’s economy has been under strain for years following the reimposition of US sanctions in 2018 after Washington withdrew from the international nuclear agreement. United Nations sanctions were reinstated in September, and Reuters reported in October that senior officials had held multiple meetings to discuss ways to prevent economic collapse and manage public discontent.
President Pezeshkian, speaking at a meeting with trade unions and market representatives on Tuesday, said the government would make efforts to address economic grievances and ease concerns faced by workers and traders, according to state media.
On Monday, Iran’s central bank chief resigned, with local media linking the move to pressure on the currency market following recent economic liberalisation policies.
