In the midst of a growing controversy surrounding language in Maharashtra, Aaditya Thackeray, a prominent leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), has stepped forward to downplay the issue, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to sow discord and spread "poison" within the state. His remarks come in the wake of recent incidents involving violence against shopkeepers for not speaking Marathi, igniting a heated debate about linguistic identity and regional pride.
Thackeray has firmly stated that there is no "Hindi versus Marathi" conflict in Maharashtra, despite the BJP's alleged efforts to create one. He asserted that the issue is not about antagonism towards any language, but about protecting the Marathi language and the identity of Maharashtra from disrespect. "We want that our mother tongue Marathi is not insulted and no language is forcefully imposed," Thackeray said.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader's comments follow a series of incidents, including the assault of a shopkeeper in Mira Road by workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for not speaking Marathi. Video footage of the incident went viral, sparking widespread condemnation. Justifying the incident, the MNS alleged the shopkeeper was arrogant and had insulted Marathi. Another incident involved traders allegedly being assaulted at the office of former Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Rajan Vichare for the same reason.
Thackeray sought to clarify the incident involving Rajan Vichare, stating that it was not related to the Marathi versus Hindi debate, nor was it a conflict between Maharashtra and North India, or any community. According to Thackeray, the altercation arose when a shopkeeper denied an official permission to charge a phone.
Adding to the tensions, the Maharashtra government's earlier decision to implement a three-language policy, which would have made Hindi a compulsory third language in primary schools, had sparked backlash from opposition parties, including Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and NCP (SP). These parties had accused the government of attempting to impose Hindi on Marathi students. Facing mounting pressure, the government eventually rolled back the resolution.
Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the government withdrew its decision due to pressure from the opposition and civil society. He also alleged that the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena were trying to prevent unity between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray.
Amid the language row, the Maharashtra government has declared October 3 as "Classical Marathi Language Day". This decision follows the government's move to declare Marathi a classical language on October 3 of the previous year.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stated that while having pride in the Marathi language is not wrong, hooliganism in the name of language will not be tolerated. He said that the police have registered an FIR and have taken action in connection with the assault of the food stall owner. "If anyone resorts to violence based on language, it will not be tolerated," Fadnavis asserted.
The language controversy has prompted reactions from various political figures and parties. Raj Thackeray of the MNS has defended Marathi, asserting that all residents of Maharashtra should learn the language but cautioned against violence. Uddhav Thackeray has warned against any attempts to impose Hindi and said that he will participate in a protest organized by Raj Thackeray to protect the Marathi language.
