Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 4 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday warned of strict legal action against those engaging in "hooliganism" in the name of Marathi. He said that the Mahayuti government will not tolerate violence against commoners.
"It is not wrong to be proud of the Marathi language in Maharashtra. But if someone indulges in hooliganism due to language, we will not tolerate it. If someone beats up people on the basis of language, this will not be tolerated. The police have filed an FIR and taken action on the incident, and if anyone creates such a language dispute in future, legal action will be taken," Fadnavis told reporters here.
He also pointed out that the people engaging in "hooliganism" amid the ongoing controversy over language in Maharashtra were those who embrace English but create dispute over Hindi.
"We are proud of our Marathi, but injustice cannot be done to any language of India in this manner; we will have to keep this in mind. And sometimes, I am surprised that these people embrace English and create disputes over Hindi. What kind of thinking is this, and what kind of action is this? Therefore, strict action will be taken against those who take the law into their own hands," Fadnavis said.
In a viral video, a group of men allegedly associated with a regional party beat up a shopowner for not speaking in Marathi. The incident occurred in the Mira-Bhayandar area near Mumbai.
This comes amid the political sparring between the ruling Mahayuti government and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra over the Hindi imposition charge.
Recently, the Maharashtra government withdrew its April 16 orders on the implementation of the three-language policy that made Hindi a "mandatory" third language for school students in Classes 1 to 5 studying in English and Marathi medium schools.
This development followed a heavy backlash from various groups and political parties.
Informing about the cancellation of the resolutions that were passed on April 16 and June 17, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that a committee will be formed to discuss the implementation of the three-language formula in the state.