Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi stoked a controversy after asserting that knowing Marathi was not necessary to live in Mumbai.
"Mumbai does not have one language. It has many languages. Certain areas have their own language. The language of Ghatkopar is Gujarati. In Girgaum, you will have fewer Hindi speakers and more Marathi speakers. So it is easy that any individual coming to Mumbai may not necessarily learn Marathi," Joshi said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, asserted that Marathi is the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra and anyone who lives here should learn and speak it.
Speaking in the state assembly, in response to Shiv Sena-UBT MLA Bhaskar Jadhav's demand that the government clarify its stand on senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi's comments that a person coming to Mumbai may not necessarily learn Marathi.
As Jadhav sought the government's response on it in the assembly, Fadnavis said, "I haven't heard what Bhaiyyaji said, but the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra is Marathi."
"Everyone should learn Marathi and should speak the language," he said.
The CM said his government respects other languages as well.
"If you love and respect your own language, you do the same to other languages. I am sure Bhaiyyaji will agree with me," Fadnavis said.
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut claimed Joshi's remark amounted to treason and was in insult of Maharashtra.
"Marathi is our state language and such a statement amounts to treason. The statement is a treason," Raut claimed while talking to reporters.
The Rajya Sabha member dared CM Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to condemn Joshi's statement and pass a resolution in the state legislature over the matter.
Terming it as a serious issue, Raut claimed Joshi decides on policies and goals of Mumbai.
The remark was more serious than what Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi stated by eulogising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, the Rajya Sabha member further claimed.
"The leader came to Mumbai and said its language is not Marathi. Should the state's CM and the council of ministers tolerate this?" Raut asked.
Can he go and speak like this in Kolkata, Lucknow, Chennai, Ludhiana, Patna, or Bengaluru, Trivandrum or Hyderabad? he further questioned.
"But he comes to Maharashtra and its capital and states that its language is not Marathi. It is Gujarati or any other, and there is no need to know any other language," Raut claimed.
"Did 106 martyrs sacrifice their lives (in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement in 1950s) to hear this?" Raut said.
Isn't this an insult of the Marathi language and Marathi pride? asked the Sena-UBT leader.
Joshi has no business to "insult" Marathi language after coming to Mumbai, Raut said.
"How can someone dare to say this...because the state has a government helmed by helpless people and Marathi haters," he alleged.
"The Shiv Sena-UBT will not tolerate this," Raut added.
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