Maharashtra Government and Raj Thackeray Unite for Marathi Language Respect: Minister Uday Samant

Mumbai, April 5 (NationPress) Minister of Marathi Language Uday Samant announced on Saturday that the Maharashtra government and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray are aligned in their belief that all residents of the state should be proficient in Marathi, while also honoring all other languages.

“Respect for Marathi should be upheld, just as we honor other languages,” Samant stated after his meeting with Raj Thackeray in Mumbai.

This meeting comes as MNS intensifies its efforts to promote Marathi identity ahead of upcoming civic elections in major cities like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, and Nagpur.

Speaking to the press post-meeting, Samant mentioned, “Raj Thackeray invited me, in my capacity as the Minister for Marathi Language, to discuss the current status of Marathi usage in the state. Prior to attending, I consulted with Shiv Sena chief and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and secured his approval.”

Samant noted that Thackeray provided recommendations on ensuring that institutions, particularly banks, incorporate Marathi in their daily operations.

“I will personally engage with Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and CM Devendra Fadnavis. We will strive for improvements,” he affirmed.

“Both Raj Thackeray and the state government share a unified position—Marathi should be respected, and all inhabitants of Maharashtra ought to learn the language. I will convene a meeting with all relevant committees to ensure that public-facing institutions, like banks, operate in Marathi. We will then determine necessary actions,” added Samant.

The discussion occurred a day after CM Fadnavis cautioned that while advocating for the use of Marathi is justifiable, unlawful actions in pursuit of this aim will not be tolerated. “Those who disregard this will face consequences,” he stated, in response to reports of aggressive promotion of Marathi by MNS supporters.

Samant acknowledged the linguistic diversity in Maharashtra and the state's openness to individuals from various backgrounds. “We respect them, and so does MNS. However, harassment and injustice towards Marathi speakers must cease. Raj Thackeray suggested that Marathi should receive legal protection,” he stated.

He reiterated that banks and entities frequently interacting with Marathi speakers should provide services in the language. “A meeting involving the police department and district collectors is scheduled in the next eight to ten days. A committee has already been established to promote Marathi, headed by district collectors. These committees will determine necessary actions against organizations that overlook Marathi,” he said.

Additionally, MNS spokesperson Sandip Deshpande adopted a stronger tone, stating on X, “Those unwilling to speak Marathi should leave Maharashtra. Those who refuse to communicate in Marathi while residing in the state are betrayers.”

He noted that MNS’s position—that Marathi deserves the same respect in Maharashtra as local languages do in other states—has received backing from linguistic identity groups in other regions.

“For example, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has expressed full support for Raj Thackeray’s stance,” Deshpande concluded.