Fadnavis warns against violence amid Maharashtra language debate
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Amid ongoing tensions over language policies in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stated that while encouraging the use of Marathi in the state is acceptable, any form of violence in the name of language will not be tolerated.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Thursday, Fadnavis said, “It is natural that the Marathi language will be requested to be spoken in Maharashtra. This is not wrong.” However, he cautioned, “But any controversy over language, or manhandling anyone over the language, will not be tolerated. We have taken strict action when any such incident has taken place. If anyone attempts to do any such thing, we will take action.”
Fadnavis’ remarks come against the backdrop of a growing language row in Maharashtra, which erupted after a state government resolution issued on April 16 mandated the introduction of Hindi as a third language from Classes 1 to 5. The decision sparked widespread criticism, with several groups accusing the government of trying to enforce Hindi at the cost of regional and linguistic diversity.
The issue has intensified in recent weeks, leading to heated public discourse and isolated incidents of violence, including attacks on Hindi-speaking individuals allegedly by political activists.
Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan also weighed in earlier this week, appealing to citizens not to let linguistic differences fuel hostility. Sharing a personal story from his time as an MP in Tamil Nadu, he recalled, "...one day I saw some people beating someone. When I asked them about the problem, they were speaking in Hindi. Then, the hotel owner told me that they don't speak Tamil, and people were beating them to speak Tamil."
The Governor warned that such behavior could deter investment and development in the state. “If we spread this kind of hatred, then who will come and invest...? In the long run, we are only harming Maharashtra. I'm unable to understand Hindi, and that is an obstacle for me. We must learn the maximum number of languages, and we should be proud of our mother tongue.”
