Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 7 (ANI): NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar on Monday hit back at BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for comparing Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and NCP-SCP to terrorists amid the Marathi-Hindi row in Maharashtra.

Speaking to ANI, Rohit Pawar said, 'I request Nishikant Dubey not to try and implement election strategies specific to Bihar in Maharashtra. While he is thinking of the West Bengal and Bihar elections, he is disturbing the sense of equality in Maharashtra. We are saying that those who speak against the state and the Marathi language are doing wrong. If you speak against the state and Marathi here, it will not be accepted.'

Earlier on Sunday, Dubey took to X and compared Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS and NCP-SCP to terror accused Salauddin, Maulana Masood Azhar, and Dawood Ibrahim.

'In Mumbai, what is the difference between Shiv Sena Uddhav, MNS Raj Thackeray, and NCP Pawar Sahab, and those who drove Kashmiri Hindus out of Kashmir, like Salauddin, Maulana Masood Azhar, and Dawood Ibrahim, who committed atrocities against Hindus in Mumbai? One committed atrocity for being Hindu, while the others are committing atrocities because of Hindi?' Nishikant Dubey wrote.

In another X post, Dubey wrote, 'Those who beat Hindi-speaking people in Mumbai, if you have the guts, try beating Urdu-speaking people in Maharashtra. Even a dog becomes a lion in its own house, right? Decide for yourself who is the dog and who is the lion.'

Meanwhile, Rohit Pawar also slammed Ashish Shelar for comparing the violence over the Marathi-Hindi row to the Pahalgam terror attack.

'We condemn Ashish Shelar's statement because he compared Marathi people with terrorists. We advise him to stay careful of the prominent leaders in his party who make some leaders give such statements,' Pawar told ANI.

Earlier on Sunday, Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar compared the agony of the Pahalgam terror attack, where Hindus were killed in the name of religion, and those getting 'beaten up' in the name of language. He said that these incidents were distressing for him.

'All these incidents cause pain, suffering, and mental distress. In Pahalgam, they shot them after asking about their religion. And here, they beat up the innocent Hindus just because of the language they speak. Such cases create a disturbance,' Shelar said.

These remarks by BJP leaders come after incidents of violence and vandalism were reported in the state amid the ongoing Hindi-Marathi controversy.

Five workers of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were arrested in connection with the vandalism at entrepreneur Sushil Kedia's office in Worli, police said on Saturday. A case has been registered against them under Sections 223, 189(2), 189(3), 190, 191(2), 191(3), and 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

In another incident, as per a viral video, a group of men allegedly associated with a regional party beat up a shop owner for not speaking in Marathi. The incident occurred in the Mira-Bhayandar area near Mumbai. (ANI)