'Learn Hindi, or...' Delhi BJP neta Renu Chaudhary's red card to foreign footballer; row erupts

NEW DELHI: A video showing BJP councillor from Patparganj ward Renu Chaudhary confronting a foreign national in a Delhi public park and berating him for not speaking Hindi has gone viral, triggering widespread criticism on social media.

In the clip, Chaudhary questions the man for not learning Hindi despite living in India and warns him of consequences if he fails to do so. In another moment, the councillor points at someone, away from camera, invokes park rules, and says that the park must shut by 8pm and warns that any criminal activity would make those present responsible. The foreign national told TOI he first came to India 12 years ago in search of opportunities and joined a football academy, where he taught children in local parks.


I am scared. If this continues, I may have to leave soon: Foreign footballer

We used to have 40-45 students every session. It was a joy. Everything was going smoothly until Covid hit," he said, seeking anonymity for his safety.

After the pandemic led to the academy's closure, he resumed coaching independently, this time focusing on underprivileged children. "Since 2022, I've chosen kids with talent but no resources, giving them jerseys and sending them for competitions. Many have gone on to become army officers and policemen," he said.

The foreign national said the incident happened on Dec 13, while he was in the park playing football with Indian friends for leisure. "At first, I took it as a joke; she seemed like a nice lady. But then she kept repeating it," he said, adding the episode left him shaken. "I am scared. If this continues, I may have to leave soon."

Responding to the row, Chaudhary said the park was used for coaching children for commercial purposes without paying dues or obtaining permission from MCD. "There are no fixed timings for the coaching sessions. On several occasions, our staff tried to communicate with the coach, but due to a language barrier, it was difficult," said Chaudhary, a first-time BJP councillor from Patparganj ward.

She added that following staff complaints, she raised the issue with the coach about eight months ago and asked him to learn Hindi to enable communication with sanitation workers, who do not understand other languages. "Although it is a ground, MCD needs the space to remain clean and must be informed when it is occupied. Locals say classes have been held there for 10-12 years, but as a councillor, I want everything to be in order for security and other reasons," she said.

Residents in the city weighed in on the broader language debate sparked by the video. Sarthak Garg, a resident of Sadar Apartments in Mayur Vihar Phase 1, said Indians often fail to reflect on their own linguistic behaviour while living in other states.

"People should spend time in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, and see how many Hindi-speaking migrants have lived there for decades without learning a few words of the local language. Before telling a foreigner to learn Hindi, Indians should ask themselves if they make an effort to learn Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali or Marathi," he said. Social media echoed similar sentiments. One user wrote: "Cringe! The virus has reached Delhi after Bengaluru and Mumbai."

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