Learn Marathi if living in Maharashtra, but no violence in the name of language: CM Fadnavis

MUMBAI: Amid escalating debate over the mandatory use of the Marathi language in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday emphasised that while pride in one's mother tongue is essential, the state government will not tolerate violence or discrimination based on language.

While asserting that everyone residing in the state should learn the local language, he issued a stern warning against the use of violence or intimidation in the name of linguistic pride.

The Chief Minister said this while speaking to the media at Hutatma Chowk on the occasion of Maharashtra Day, amid a controversy after the state government decided to mandate that non-Marathi-speaking rickshaw drivers learn the language.

While a phased training programme was planned, protests by rickshaw unions led the government to extend the compliance deadline until August.

The issue took a political turn when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray questioned how anyone could have the "audacity" to refuse to speak Marathi. Raj Thackeray criticised the government for being lenient, suggesting that the permits of non-compliant drivers should be revoked immediately.

Responding to Raj Thackeray's aggressive stance, CM Fadnavis stated that Maharashtra has never been a "narrow-minded" state. “Maharashtra has never harboured the mentality that migrants shouldn't live here or that only certain people should reside here," he said. "The 'Maharashtra Dharma' taught to us by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj does not support such exclusion. I am proud to see my Marathi brothers contributing to the culture and development of every state they live in across the country,” he remarked.