‘Why Live in Dubai?’ Raj Thackeray Questions Madhavan, Vivek Oberoi

• Raj Thackeray questioned R Madhavan and Vivek Oberoi over their decision to relocate to Dubai.
• He asked why those praising PM Modi and India’s development chose to live abroad.
• Thackeray also criticised derogatory language used against PM Modi during CJP-led protests.
• He blamed BJP troll teams for fostering a culture of abusive political discourse online

GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 2nd Aug: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray has questioned actors R Madhavan and Vivek Oberoi over their decision to live in Dubai while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s development under his government.

Addressing an event organised by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena, the MNS students’ wing, in Mumbai on Saturday, Thackeray also claimed that thousands of Indian industrialists had “packed up their bags and left” the country.

Referring to Vivek Oberoi’s portrayal of Modi in the 2019 biopic PM Narendra Modi, Thackeray said, “Vivek Oberoi, who made a film on Modi and played Modi’s role in it, has also gone to live in Dubai.”

He then turned to Madhavan, questioning why the actor had chosen to live outside India despite praising the Prime Minister.

“R Madhavan who praised PM Modi — where does he live? He lives in Dubai. So if you love India so much, if you love PM Modi, if they believe that PM Modi is developing India, then why are they living in a foreign land? Why are they living in Dubai with their families?” Thackeray asked.

Thackeray further alleged that actors would return to India to work in what he described as “government-sponsored” films such as Dhurandhar before going back to Dubai.

Madhavan has previously said that he relocated to Dubai during the Covid-19 pandemic to support his son’s swimming career, while Oberoi has said that his move to Dubai was linked to his business activities.

Thackeray Condemns Abusive Language at CJP Protests
The MNS chief also weighed in on the language used against Prime Minister Modi during the Cockroach Janta Party-led (CJP) protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, saying such remarks were inappropriate.

Referring to Modi’s statement that such “misguided children” should be forgiven and guided towards the right path, Thackeray said he agreed with the Prime Minister’s position.

“I agree with it. No one should use a language of such a low level. But he should tell people of his own party,” Thackeray said.

He alleged that BJP-linked trolls had targeted political and national figures ranging from Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi to members of the Thackeray family.

Thackeray said several actors were reluctant to publicly express their opinions because of fears of online trolling.

“Even they should be asked to stop. BJP troll teams started this. As you sow, so shall you reap,” he said, adding that abusive remarks against people’s family members should also stop.

NEET Row Was ‘Just a Trigger’
Commenting on the recent CJP protests, Thackeray said the NEET paper leak controversy was only a trigger for the mobilisation.

According to the MNS chief, the scale of the response reflected a broader accumulation of grievances among people over several years rather than anger over the examination controversy alone.