Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar on Sunday condemned the recent incidents of violence in the state over the ongoing language row, likening them to the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Drawing a parallel, Shelar said while the terrorists in Kashmir had targeted tourists based on religion, people in Maharashtra were now facing violence over language, which he described as “deeply disappointing.”
He asserted that the BJP-led Maharashtra government would defend and protect the pride of Marathi people, but will also ensure that it stood by non-Marathi residents. “Marathi is not a political issue for us,” the BJP leader told news agency PTI.
His comments came after a video showing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers allegedly assaulting a shopkeeper in Bhayandar for reportedly refusing to converse in Marathi went viral. Seven party members were later detained and released after being served notices by the police.
Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane had also critcised the trageting of those not speaking in Marathi, while Pratap Sarnaik of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena stated that the MNS had no exclusive claim over Marathi.
When asked about assault of Hindi-speaking people by MNS workers, Shelar said, “In the Pahalgam terror attack, people were asked their religion before being shot. Here, people are being attacked based on their language. It is disappointing.” Without naming anyone, he criticised political leaders who he said seemed to be “enjoying” the targeting of fellow Hindus.
Five MNS supporters on Saturday were arrested for for vandalising the Mumbai office of investor Sushil Kedia after his social media post questioned the need to learn Marathi and included a “kya karna hai bol” dare, directed towards Raj Thackeray. Kedia later issued an apology, saying he had overreacted and expressed admiration for Thackeray.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday also slammed the recent incidents of assault against Hindi-speaking people in the state. He also urged strict action against the MNS party workers who attacked the shopkeeper and the investor.
Athawale said: “To beat someone because of language is not good, and this language of slapping someone should end. Mumbai, the economic capital, has non-Marathi people who also own industries. Will Raj Thackeray give jobs to all if the industries close? I have a question from Uddhav Thackeray, as Hindus are being attacked and Balasaheb Thackeray did a lot for Hindus, but what is he doing now?”
The Union Minister also criticsed Raj Thackeray for his “slap but don’t record” reamark during the joint rally on Saturday, saying that the latter should avoid such things since he is a politician. “Raj Thackeray made a highly controversial statement, which encourages those who engage in ‘dadgiri’,” Athawale said.
‘Was Sambhaji Maharaj A Fool?’
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad took aim at Uddhav and Raj Thackeray’s campaign against Hindi, citing Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who is known as a polyglot for his proficiency in 16 languages.
“Was Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj a fool to learn 16 languages? Tarabai and Jijabai knew multiple languages, including Hindi. Were they fools as well? We should all learn as many languages as we can,” Gaikwad said on Saturday.
His remarks came after Raj and Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday held a rare joint rally after two decades in Mumbai, celebrating what they believed was Marathi’s “victory” after CM Devendra Fadnavis retracted two orders (GRs) on the three language policy under NEP 2020, introducing Hindi from Class 1 in English and Marathi medium schools.
At the event, Thackeray cousins vowed to resist all and any move by the government to “impose” Hindi and “sideline” Marathi in the state.
“Indulging in politics on the issue of language is wrong. We should even learn Urdu if we want to stop terrorism. I have said this several times,” the Buldhana MLA asserted .
(With inputs from news agency PTI.)
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