Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday stated that while it is reasonable to expect people to speak Marathi in the state, using violence to enforce it is completely unacceptable. He emphasised that no one should be 'obstinate' about the issue.
Fadnavis also warned that strict legal action would be taken against anyone attempting to take the law into their own hands over the matter.
His remarks came in the wake of two recent incidents, one involving Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers assaulting a food stall owner in Bhayandar, Thane district, for not speaking Marathi; and another where a businessman in Mumbai publicly declared that he would not speak Marathi, despite having lived in the city for many years.
Cautioning against linguistic chauvinism, he said, “Even I am Marathi. There are (Marathi) people working in other states. If they get similar treatment (there), then it is not fair. Whoever takes the law into their hands will face legal action.” He criticised the selective outrage over languages, and said, “I sometimes wonder how these people embrace English, but create controversy over Hindi. What sort of thought process is this?”
Calling for constructive promotion of the language, Fadnavis said, “If you are truly proud of Marathi, then speak Marathi. Encourage others to speak Marathi. Start classes to teach Marathi. Why do you send your children to schools where Marathi is taught as the third language? Send them to Marathi medium schools”.
Reacting to the incident, BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane criticised the MNS for allegedly targeting a “Hindu man” for not speaking in Marathi. He questioned whether “those who wear skull caps” speak Marathi fluently.
“A Hindu man was beaten up… Why are poor Hindus being assaulted? If you have the courage, try going to Null Bazaar or Mohammad Ali Road and show your strength there,” Rane said at the legislature complex on Thursday, referring to predominantly Muslim areas in South Mumbai.
“Do those in Mohammad Ali Road speak pure Marathi? Do Javed Akhtar or Aamir Khan speak Marathi? You don’t have the courage to confront them, but you choose to assault poor Hindus instead,” he added.
“This is a conspiracy to turn the country into an Islamic state. Through love jihad, land jihad and other tactics, attempts are being made to reduce the number of Hindus in Mumbai. This violence is part of that strategy?” the BJP leader said.
