Slapgate row: Won't tolerate hooliganism in the name of Marathi, says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis; warns of action over language attacks
MUMBAI: Hooliganism under the guise of Marathi pride will not be tolerated in the state, CM Fadnavis warned on Friday. He said police had registered an FIR and taken action in the Mira Road incident where a businessman was beaten up by MNS workers for not knowing Marathi.
Speaking to the media, Fadnavis said beating up someone over language was wrong. "We are Marathi and are proud of the language. Insisting that a person speak in Marathi is not wrong, but beating up a businessman because he does not know it is wrong. Our Marathi-speaking people are doing business in different states, and if they do not know the local language, should they get similar treatment? Such behaviour and hooliganism are not correct. Action will be taken against such violent behaviour," he said.
CM Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday, "We are proud of Marathi, but no injustice can be done to any other Indian language. Sometimes I am amazed they embrace English but create disputes over Hindi. What kind of thinking is this, and what kind of action is this?"
He warned that strict action would be taken against those who take the law into their own hands. "Should businessmen not do business? If a Marathi-speaking businessman goes to Assam and does business there and takes time to learn Assamese, should he be meted out similar treatment? Should the people of Assam beat him up? If you genuinely take pride in Marathi, then serve the language, start classes to teach Marathi, teach your children Marathi. Why have you set up schools where it is clearly mentioned that Marathi is the third language?" he asked.
On the Thackeray cousins holding a "victory rally" over state govt's withdrawal of two GRs about Hindi being taught as a third language from Class 1, Fadnavis said they (Thackerays) seem to be happy about the decision taken by govt. "Let them hold the victory rally. The committee to make recommendations was set up by them, they put their aide on the committee, the committee recommended that Hindi and English should be made compulsory from Class 1 to 12, the recommendations were accepted by them in the cabinet, the minutes were signed by them... the Marathi manoos knows they are double-faced," he said. This was a reiteration of his earlier statement that Uddhav Thackery as CM had accepted the report of the Mashelkar panel recommending that Hindi be the third language from Class 1.
Speaking to the media, Fadnavis said beating up someone over language was wrong. "We are Marathi and are proud of the language. Insisting that a person speak in Marathi is not wrong, but beating up a businessman because he does not know it is wrong. Our Marathi-speaking people are doing business in different states, and if they do not know the local language, should they get similar treatment? Such behaviour and hooliganism are not correct. Action will be taken against such violent behaviour," he said.
CM Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday, "We are proud of Marathi, but no injustice can be done to any other Indian language. Sometimes I am amazed they embrace English but create disputes over Hindi. What kind of thinking is this, and what kind of action is this?"
He warned that strict action would be taken against those who take the law into their own hands. "Should businessmen not do business? If a Marathi-speaking businessman goes to Assam and does business there and takes time to learn Assamese, should he be meted out similar treatment? Should the people of Assam beat him up? If you genuinely take pride in Marathi, then serve the language, start classes to teach Marathi, teach your children Marathi. Why have you set up schools where it is clearly mentioned that Marathi is the third language?" he asked.
On the Thackeray cousins holding a "victory rally" over state govt's withdrawal of two GRs about Hindi being taught as a third language from Class 1, Fadnavis said they (Thackerays) seem to be happy about the decision taken by govt. "Let them hold the victory rally. The committee to make recommendations was set up by them, they put their aide on the committee, the committee recommended that Hindi and English should be made compulsory from Class 1 to 12, the recommendations were accepted by them in the cabinet, the minutes were signed by them... the Marathi manoos knows they are double-faced," he said. This was a reiteration of his earlier statement that Uddhav Thackery as CM had accepted the report of the Mashelkar panel recommending that Hindi be the third language from Class 1.
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