Amit Shah's Hindi remarks twisted by opposition, says Maharashtra CM Fadnavis
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis accused the opposition of deliberately twisting Amit Shah's speech at the Rajbhasha Sammelan in Navi Mumbai — but with Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and a cryptic Raj Thackeray post all in the mix, the Hindi language row is far from over. The same cabinet meeting also cleared soft loans for sugarcane farmers and a new IIM Mumbai-backed scheme evaluation cell, signalling the government's attempt to move the conversation toward governance delivery.
Key Takeaways
CM Devendra Fadnavis on 15 September 2026 defended Amit Shah's remarks at the Rajbhasha Sammelan, Navi Mumbai , saying the opposition had taken them out of context.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray responded with a cryptic social media post — 'A cow does not die from a crow's curse' — signalling disapproval without direct confrontation.
Mumbai Police denied permission for activist Manoj Jarange Patil's proposed rally; Fadnavis cited law-and-order concerns ahead of the festival season.
The Maharashtra cabinet approved soft loans for cooperative sugar mills to clear FRP dues for the 2025–26 crushing season.
A new Maha-Tech cell — in collaboration with IIM Mumbai — will evaluate 25 policies and 25 welfare schemes over the next year.
Cabinet cleared the return of agricultural land in Haregaon village, Ahilyanagar to original farmers, with amendments to the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands Act, 1961 .
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, came out in defence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asserting that the opposition had deliberately misrepresented Shah's remarks on the Hindi language by selectively quoting his speech and stripping it of its original context. The controversy has widened political fault lines in the state ahead of the festive season.
How the Controversy Began
The row erupted after Amit Shah addressed the Rajbhasha Sammelan in Navi Mumbai, where he described Maharashtra as a leading multilingual state and argued that there was no reason to oppose learning an additional national language alongside one's mother tongue. The remarks drew sharp criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who interpreted them as an affront to Marathi linguistic identity.
Notably, MNS chief Raj Thackeray stopped short of a direct rebuke, instead posting a cryptic message on social media: 'A cow does not die from a crow's curse. That is all for now.' The veiled comment was widely read as an expression of disapproval without inviting an open confrontation.
Fadnavis Defends Shah, Urges Restraint
Speaking to reporters, CM Fadnavis clarified that Shah had explicitly underlined the primacy of the mother tongue during his address and had acknowledged the rightful status of Marathi in Maharashtra. He urged political leaders across the spectrum to refrain from taking statements out of context and warned against manufactured controversies.
Manoj Jarange Rally, Disha Salian Case: Fadnavis Responds
On the Mumbai Police denying permission for activist Manoj Jarange Patil's proposed rally, CM Fadnavis stressed that maintaining law and order is a priority — especially with the festival season approaching. He said fresh applications would be evaluated on merit, adding that the state government has already accepted several of Jarange's demands while others remain sub judice.
Regarding fresh reports of a CBI FIR naming political figures in connection with the Disha Salian case, Fadnavis said he had not yet reviewed the document. He noted the CBI is acting pursuant to High Court directions and advised against premature speculation while legal proceedings are ongoing.
Cabinet Approves Farmer Relief, Maha-Tech Cell and Land Returns
The Maharashtra state cabinet, meeting on Tuesday, approved a package of decisions targeting sugarcane farmers, cooperative sugar factories, and governance reform. Among the headline announcements:
Soft loans for cooperative sugar mills: The government approved concessional lending to distressed cooperative sugar factories to help them clear pending Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) dues owed to farmers for the 2025–26 crushing season and prepare for the 2026–27 season.
Maharashtra Technical Assistance Cell ('Maha-Tech'): The cabinet cleared the establishment of this evaluation body, to be implemented in collaboration with IIM Mumbai and the Centre for Planning and Policy Research. Maha-Tech will conduct rigorous assessments of 25 key state policies and 25 major welfare schemes over the next year to sharpen delivery and decision-making.
Agricultural land returns in Ahilyanagar: In a significant move for farmers in Haregaon village (Shrirampur taluka, Ahilyanagar district), the cabinet approved returning lands currently held by the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation to their original owners. Amendments to the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands Act, 1961 were cleared to facilitate the transfer.
Other Cabinet Decisions
The cabinet also approved a complete exemption of stamp duty on the lease deed registration for the Nashik branch of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad, to set up a study centre and library. It cleared the free transfer of 6,240.30 sq metres of government land to the Arvi Municipal Council in Wardha district for a commercial complex. Amendments to the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965 were also sanctioned, along with administrative approval for four new posts for the Chairman's office of the Mumbai Police Housing Township Project.
With the Hindi language row unlikely to die down quickly and the Jarange rally question still unresolved, the political temperature in Maharashtra is set to remain elevated through the festive period.
Point of View
And the ruling Mahayuti alliance's decision to mount an immediate, full-throated defence of Amit Shah signals how sensitive the terrain is — particularly with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS fishing in the same Marathi-pride waters. Raj Thackeray's cryptic post is the more telling signal: it preserves deniability while keeping the pressure on. The cabinet's concurrent announcements on farmer loans and the Maha-Tech evaluation cell appear designed to pivot the news cycle toward governance, but in Maharashtra's charged political environment, the Hindi row will crowd out the policy story. The real test is whether opposition parties can sustain the narrative or whether the government's contextual defence lands with Marathi voters who care deeply about language, but also about FRP dues.
NationPress
15 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Amit Shah say about Hindi at the Rajbhasha Sammelan in Navi Mumbai?
Amit Shah described Maharashtra as a leading multilingual state and said there was no reason to oppose learning an additional national language alongside one's mother tongue. The remarks were made at the Rajbhasha Sammelan in Navi Mumbai and triggered protests from Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, who argued they amounted to imposing Hindi on Marathi speakers.
Why did Devendra Fadnavis defend Amit Shah's Hindi remarks?
CM Fadnavis argued that Shah had explicitly emphasised the importance of the mother tongue and had acknowledged Marathi's rightful status in Maharashtra. He said the opposition was selectively quoting the speech and urged leaders not to manufacture controversy by taking statements out of context.
What was Raj Thackeray's response to Amit Shah's speech?
MNS chief Raj Thackeray did not directly attack Shah but posted a cryptic message on social media — 'A cow does not die from a crow's curse. That is all for now.' — which was widely interpreted as a veiled expression of displeasure.
What is the Maharashtra Technical Assistance Cell (Maha-Tech) approved by the cabinet?
Maha-Tech is a new state government body approved on 15 September 2026 to evaluate and optimise government schemes, implemented in collaboration with IIM Mumbai and the Centre for Planning and Policy Research. It will assess 25 key state policies and 25 major welfare schemes over the next year.
What relief did the Maharashtra cabinet approve for sugarcane farmers?
The cabinet approved soft loans for distressed cooperative sugar factories to help them clear pending Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) dues owed to farmers for the 2025–26 crushing season and prepare for the 2026–27 season. A separate decision also cleared the return of agricultural land in Haregaon village, Ahilyanagar district, to original farmer-owners.
