Mandi (Himachal Pradesh): BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut said that people should not be divided in the name of language amid raging language row in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has urged everybody to speak Marathi in the state, according to NDTV.
Kangana Ranaut made the remark amid the raging controversy over the Centre’s alleged move to impose Hindi in the school curriculum.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers reportedly assaulted a shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi.
Calling for unity, the actor urged people to stay away from dividing the country, adding that ‘People in our country try to connect with each other in different ways.’
‘So many people come here for tourism, they want to know how Paharis speak. When we travel, we want to know how people in the South speak. We must preserve the spirit of unity in the country. People should not be divided in the name of language,’ she reportedly said.
Kangana Ranaut, who has relocated to Mumbai in the early 2000s to pursue her acting career, is now an MP for Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh.
Visiting Siraj Valley in Mandi to console families affected by cloudburst recently that claimed 10 lives while 24 remain missing in Thunag, Ranaut has questioned the state government's response to the disaster.
Highlighting the Centre’s rescue operations she said ‘Our entire team, from NDRF to the Army, is engaged in rescue operations. I was monitoring the situation throughout the night. Many lives have been lost, and some people are still missing. The damage is extensive, but our teams are working tirelessly.’
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu asked the district administration to carry out relief and rescue operations on a war footing.