Mumbai: The political row over Maharashtra’s controversial three-language policy intensified on Monday, with Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut accusing the BJP of spreading lies and the state cabinet officially withdrawing the contentious Government Resolutions (GRs) following days of protests.
Raut Hits Back At Devendra Fadnavis
Raut hit back at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had claimed that former CM Uddhav Thackeray had earlier accepted the Dr Raghunath Mashelkar Committee's recommendations on the three-language formula. "The BJP has a national policy of lying. If Uddhav Thackeray accepted the Mashelkar Committee report, then make it public. Let's have a discussion," Raut said, challenging the government to produce evidence.
Facing mounting pressure from opposition parties, the Maharashtra cabinet on Sunday withdrew two GRs issued on April 16 and June 17 regarding the implementation of Marathi, Hindi and English as compulsory languages in primary education from Class 1. The decision came after strong resistance from parties including Shiv Sena UBT and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who have criticised what they term as language imposition.
At a press conference on Sunday, Fadnavis defended the state government’s position, stating that Thackeray’s cabinet had previously endorsed the same three-language policy. “He accepted English, but is now protesting against Hindi. We have already clarified that Marathi will remain compulsory,” said Fadnavis, flanked by Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.
The government also announced the formation of a new committee headed by educationist Dr Narendra Jadhav to review the policy after wide consultation with stakeholders. Fadnavis said the government would abide by the committee's recommendations.
Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, reiterated that his party is not opposed to Hindi but stands firmly against its forced imposition. “By burning the GR copies, we are rejecting this policy. The state government doesn't understand the depth of our protest. Marathi is being sidelined. How much academic pressure do you want to put on students?” Thackeray questioned during a rally in South Mumbai.
As the monsoon session of the legislature kicks off today, the language issue is expected to remain a hot-button topic, adding to the list of challenges the ruling Mahayuti government faces from an increasingly vocal opposition.
