‘If you earn here, learn Hindi’: Delhi BJP councillor's ultimatum to African coach sparks outrage
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor in Delhi has sparked controversy after a video surfaced showing her allegedly threatening an African national, asking him to learn Hindi within a month or face a ban from entering a public park where he works as a football coach.
The video, shared by councillor Renu Chaudhary on her own Instagram account, shows her confronting the coach at a park in Patparganj.
In the clip, she is heard telling him that despite living in the area for years, he has not learnt Hindi and warning that he would be barred from using the park if he failed to do so within a month.
The African national, who has reportedly lived in the locality for nearly 15 years, works as a private football coach and trains children from nearby residential societies.
When some bystanders initially laughed, assuming the remarks were made in jest, the councillor clarified that she was serious.
She stated that she had warned the coach earlier as well and added that anyone earning money in India should learn the country’s language.
Following widespread backlash online, Chaudhary issued a clarification, denying that she had intended to threaten the coach.
She said her remarks were aimed at resolving communication issues between the coach and officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), which manages the park.
According to her, the coach was using the MCD park for commercial activities by charging children for football lessons but had not paid the required revenue.
She claimed that officials faced difficulties communicating with him as he did not understand Hindi.
Chaudhary further said she had earlier asked the coach to learn basic Hindi and had even offered to arrange and pay for a tutor. Defending her stance, she maintained that there was nothing wrong in expecting foreigners living in India to learn the local language, especially when engaging in professional activities.
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