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The language row or the alleged Hindi imposition has emerged as one of the hottest topics for the political slugfest in the country. Started with Tamil Nadu, it has now acquired centre stage in the state politics of Maharashtra.

The row led to an unprecedented turn in state politics on July 5 when long-estranged Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray joined forces against the government and held a rally at Mumbai's Worli Dome.

The rally received a massive response from the public as thousands were present at the event. Raj Thackeray, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, made the first address and took a dig at CM Devendra Fadnavis. He said Fadnavis managed to do what Bal Thackeray couldn't do, unite him with Uddhav. So what did CM Fadnavis do, and what is this language row?

What is language row in Maharashtra, how it started?

In April, the Maharashtra government under CM Devendra Fadnavis issued two Government Resolutions (GRs) to introduce Hindi as a third language for classes 1 to 5. The government order mandated Hindi unless at least 20 students in a class opt for an alternative.

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This led to a political stir with both Uddhav's Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj's MNS lodged strong protests. They accused the government of imposing Hindi in Maharashtra and allegedly undermining the Marathi language.

Amid sharp exchanges of words, both MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) announced rallies on July 6 and 7, respectively. However, they later decided to hold a single protest rally on July 5.

Meanwhile, the government on June 29 revoked both GRs and formed a committee under former Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav. The committee has been mandated to recommend the steps to implement the three-language formula under NEP 2020.

As the government withdrew the GRs, the Thackeray cousins called it a win and decided to hold a victory rally on July 5 instead.

On what basis was Hindi made mandatory as third language?

Hindi was selected as the third language by the government based on the Mashelkar Committee report. Maharashtra minister for Marathi language Uday Samant on Monday said that the government will table the report recommending in the assembly which recommends to make Hindi as a mandatory third language from Class 1 in state schools.

Speaking in the assembly, Samant said that the Mashelkar Committee report was submitted to the then government on February 22, 2022 and was approved by the then CM Uddhav Thackeray.

"It was a report on how higher and technical education should be as per NEP (National Education Policy) 2020. (In it) there was a recommendation that Hindi be made mandatory language from grade I to 12," he said in the House.

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"Who was the chief minister (at the time)," he asked without referring to Uddhav Thackeray, who led the state from November 2019 to June 2022.

Samant asserted that it was not the ruling Mahayuti government that decided to make Hindi the third language but the MVA government under Uddhav Thackeray.

The report was also mentioned by CM Fadnavis' while he revoked the two GRs. In a press conference, CM Fadnavis had shown Thackeray's signature on the minutes of the cabinet meeting in which it was mentioned that the Mashelkar Committee report had been accepted. 

(With PTI Inputs)