A video purportedly showing BJP councillor Renu Chaudhary allegedly threatening an African national for not learning Hindi has gone viral on social media, triggering sharp reactions online.
In the video, Chaudhary, who represents Ward No 196 of Patparganj in east Delhi, is seen questioning the man, a football coach who trains children at a Municipal Corporation of Delhi park, over his inability to speak Hindi. She is heard giving him an ultimatum, saying that if he does not learn Hindi within a month, action would be taken against him.
In the clip, Chaudhary can be heard saying, “Hindi nahi seekhi. Kyun nahi seekhi? Agar ek mahine mein Hindi nahi seekhi, toh park cheen lo inse?” suggesting that he be removed from the park if he fails to learn the language. She also tells the coach that since he earns money in India, he should learn Hindi.
The video was widely shared on social media, with several users accusing the councillor of linguistic intimidation and racism. One post described the incident as an example of “language vigilantism” and questioned why Indians living abroad are not subjected to similar demands to learn local languages.
Responding to the backlash, Chaudhary defended her remarks and said she had asked the coach to learn basic Hindi nearly eight months ago. She alleged that he was carrying out commercial activities inside the MCD park without paying the required revenue and had failed to address cleanliness issues.
According to Chaudhary, MCD staff also faced difficulties communicating with the coach due to the language barrier. In a separate video statement, she claimed she had even offered to pay for his Hindi classes.
“He engages in commercial activities inside the MCD park and is supposed to pay revenue. He is teaching students, but when asked about it, he said he does not know Hindi. It was eight months ago that I requested him to learn the language,” she said.
The councillor further argued that the coach has been in India for around 14 years and should have learnt basic Hindi by now. She maintained that she had not done anything wrong.
