Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 6 : Congress leader Nana Patole on Thursday responded sharply to RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi's statement criticizing him for shifting focus from critical issues like farmer distress and unemployment in Maharashtra.
RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi had remarked that those coming to Mumbai need not learn Marathi. He also said that Gujarati is the "language of the Ghatkopar area in Mumbai."
Patole in a statement to Media said, "It is their government, it is RSS's government. Today, farmers' crops are drying up in Maharashtra. Can't RSS give suggestions to the government on this?"
Patole criticized the RSS for diverting attention from more pressing issues facing the state, such as unemployment and farmer distress.
"Is RSS not concerned about unemployment in Maharashtra? RSS and BJP are diverting attention from the main issues by creating such debates on languages," Patole added, highlighting the government's lack of focus on real problems affecting the people of Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, after Joshi's remarks, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized on Thursday that the language of Mumbai and the whole state is Marathi.
Addressing the Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis strongly emphasized, "In Mumbai, Maharashtra, and the State government's language is Marathi, and people who live here should learn it."
"Marathi is a part of the state's culture and identity, and it is the duty of every citizen to learn it," the Chief Minister said.
The Maharashtra Assembly was adjourned for five minutes today after a heated debated broke out between the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) over the Marathi language issue.
Joshi's remarks also evoked a strong reaction from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray. Thackeray on Thursday asserted that the language of Maharashtra will remain Marathi.
Thackeray said, "People from outside come to our state and settle here. However, the language of this land is Marathi, just like Tamil is in Tamil Nadu and Kannada is in Karnataka. The ideology of the BJP is to keep disrespecting Maharashtra."
"Yesterday, Suresh Bhaiyya ji said that the language in Ghatkopar could be Gujarati, but this is absolutely not possible. The language of Mumbai is Marathi. This government even halted the Marathi Bhasha Bhavan in Mumbai because they want to disrespect Maharashtra and the Marathi language," Aditya Thackeray added.