New Delhi, July 6 Union Minister and Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale on Sunday strongly criticized Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and his party workers over their recent stance on the Hindi language and the violent incidents targeting Hindi-speaking citizens in Mumbai.
Athawale called for an immediate end to "gundagardi" (hooliganism) and warned that such actions would damage Mumbai's cosmopolitan status.
Reacting to the ongoing controversy around the state government's decision, later withdrawn, to impose Marathi in educational institutions, Athawale, told IANS, emphasised that Hindi is the most spoken language in India and is rightfully considered the Rajbhasha (official language).
“Opposing Hindi is not appropriate. Hindi is spoken by the majority of people in the country. It is not a threat to Marathi,” he said.
On the reunion of Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, Athawale took a sceptical tone, saying, “They’ve come together over the Marathi issue, but who knows how long they’ll stay united?”
He urged Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to remember Bal Thackeray’s inclusive vision, which involved forming wings for different communities across India, and condemned MNS for “attacking Hindus instead.”
Commenting on reports of MNS workers assaulting Hindi-speaking individuals and posting videos online, Athawale warned, “If they slap others, they must remember that they too could be slapped someday.” He urged Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to take strict action against such vigilante-style violence.
Athawale also dismissed Raj Thackeray’s earlier remarks that Hindi-speaking states are weaker than Maharashtra. “Mumbai is India’s economic backbone, and that pride is shared by everyone—Marathis and non-Marathis alike,” he said. “During British times too, Mumbai held special status. Marathas have contributed immensely, but non-Marathi people, including many businessmen, have played a vital role in building Mumbai.”
He also stated that the Maharashtra government must ensure the safety of all citizens and that politics should not be used to divide people along linguistic lines.
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