• Source:JND
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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday offered a “shortcut” to non-Marathi speakers caught in the ongoing language row in the state. “People living here who don’t know Marathi should politely say, ‘We do not know Marathi, we are learning it.’ If you say this, there will be no problem,” he advised, amid escalating tensions that have now reached Parliament.

Earlier in the day, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey faced backlash from several women MPs from Maharashtra over his controversial remark, “Marathi logon ko hum yahan patak patak ke marenge” (we’ll thrash Maharashtrians here). Confronted by angry lawmakers demanding an explanation, Dubey quickly backtracked and responded with a hasty “Jai Maharashtra.”

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"The language of the state you live in should be respected," Ajit Pawar said today. "From Maharashtra to Jammu and Kashmir, everyone should be proud of their mother tongue. But what is going on in the name of language at present," he added, trailing off. 

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's controversial remark was a direct response to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's earlier threat, where he said, "dubo-dubo ke maarenge" (we will thrash them thoroughly). The MNS, known for its aggressive championing of the son-of-the-soil ideology, has taken the ongoing language row seriously. Raj Thackeray has been at the forefront, issuing a series of sharp warnings, further fuelling the controversy.

"Sometimes it happens that some people react and they become arrogant. This does not work. When you work on what the people there have to say, what is their thinking, you should think about all this sometimes. And everyone should live together happily," explaining how things escalate, Pawar said.

His comments come in the wake of multiple confrontations between Marathi and non-Marathi speakers, many involving MNS workers. These clashes have been unfolding against the backdrop of a growing three-language debate and allegations of Hindi imposition, further intensifying linguistic tensions across Maharashtra.

On the language row, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said that it is necessary to know Marathi if you are in Maharashtra, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, controversy over language or manhandling anyone because of it will not be tolerated.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said, "It is natural that Marathi language will be requested for (to be spoken) in Maharashtra. This is not wrong. But any controversy over language, or manhandling anyone over the language will not be tolerated. We have taken strict action when any such incident has taken place. If anyone attempts to do any such thing, we will take action."

ALSO READ: 'Main Marathi Nahi Bolungi': Woman Fearlessly Confronts Two Men Over Language Dispute In Public

Earlier this week, a man was assaulted by MNS workers after he refused to speak in Marathi and challenged them by saying, “I will not speak the language. What will you do?” The MNS has also threatened to remove all Gujarati signboards on the National Highway and replace them with Marathi ones, with several hotel and shop signs already vandalized along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch. While Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the violence, stating that attacking people over language is unacceptable, MNS chief Raj Thackeray defended his party's actions, saying he is "proud of his soldiers."

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