Marathi Is Language of Mumbai, Maharashtra and State Government, Says CM Devendra Fadnavis After Row Over RSS Leader’s Statement

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, March 6, said that Marathi is the language of Mumbai, Maharashtra and the government. He asked citizens who lived in the state to adopt it. "Marathi is the language of Mumbai, Maharashtra and the state government, and the people living here should adopt it. The Marathi language is a part of the culture and identity of the state, and it should be the duty of every citizen to learn it," CM said during the budget session of Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly. 

This comes after Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav pointed to comments of an RSS leader. "The Marathi language will be respected and preserved in Maharashtra, and it is an integral part of our cultural heritage," he further stated. Jadhav asked the government to clarify its stand on senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi's comments that a person coming to Mumbai may not necessarily learn Marathi.

"Mumbai does not have one language. It has many languages. Certain areas have their own language. The language of Ghatkopar is Gujarati. In Girgaum, you will have fewer Hindi speakers and more Marathi speakers. So it is easy that any individual coming to Mumbai may not necessarily learn Marathi," Joshi had said.

Also Read | "Ghatkopar’s Language Is Gujarati, Knowing Marathi Not Must in Mumbai": RSS Leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi Sparks Row (Watch Video).

"If you love and respect your own language, you do the same to other languages. I am sure Bhaiyyaji will agree with me," Fadnavis said.

Shiv Sena UBT MLA Aaditya Thackeray slammed the government and said that people of the BJP insult the Marathi language, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the people of Maharashtra. "Whether it's Maharashtra's language or Mumbai's language, it is Marathi. Many people come to our state from different regions, settle here, and bring their dreams with them," said Aaditya.

"They contribute, they grow, and everyone is welcome. But the language of this land, of Mumbai, of Maharashtra, is Marathi. Just as Tamil is the language of Tamil Nadu and Kannada is the language of Karnataka, I want to emphasize that Marathi is the language of Maharashtra," he said.