&w=3840&q=100)
Those bullying non-Marathi speakers will face action: Ramdas Athawale
"Those who indulge in such bullying will be taught a lesson," Athawale said, asserting that the stance of leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on the issue is against Balasaheb Thackeray's vision.
"I said that this is wrong. Knowing Marathi is fine. Telling them to learn Marathi is okay, but bullying them, slapping them, that is not right.
Action has been taken by the police against those involved in such illegal actions, and "our government will not allow such bullying", the leader from Maharashtra said at a press conference here.
He said that wrong politics is being done in the name of Marathi, noting that Mumbai is the financial capital of India and home to people from Rajasthan, Gujarat and many south India states.
"It is not about opposing Hindi. There was a concern that teaching Hindi from first grade is not right. Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena so that Marathi people could get justice.
"However, what Uddhav and Raj Thackeray are doing is against Balasaheb Thackeray's vision. We also love Marathi. Bullying can be answered with bullying. In Maharashtra, there is Devendra Fadnavis's government and those who do such bullying will be taught a lesson," the minister said.
He said that non-Marathi people also contribute significantly to Mumbai's growth. "Major industrialists like Tata, Birla, Ambani and Adani have played a big role," he said, adding that such incidents damage Mumbai's status.
The Union Minister said that "around 60 per cent of people in Mumbai are non-Marathi. Of these, 80 per cent speak Marathi, but 20 per cent don't. Hindi is our national language. Our government will not allow such bullying".
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the Republican Party of India (A) chief said that he should continue in the post till 2029.
"It is my party's view that Modi should remain the prime minister till 2029. What RSS says about retiring at 75, I don't know. But under Modi's leadership, the government has come back... we need Modi as PM till 2029," he said.
On the controversy over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, Athawale said there should be an investigation to see if Bangladeshi nationals have enrolled in the voters' list with changed names.
"There is a suspicion that Bangladeshi people may be living in Bihar with changed names. We should find out where they were born.
"If they were born in Bihar, there is no problem. But if they were born in Bangladesh and haven't taken citizenship, they should be removed from the voters' list," he said.
Athawale said it is a democratic right of opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi "to seek power".
"Congress leader Rahul Gandhi can have his views. Anyone has the right to come to power in a democracy. The BJP was also once in opposition and came to power," he said, replying to queries on his party's history of switching alliances.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Marathi grp protests Jain push for pigeon feeding in Dadar
Mumbai: The Dadar Kabutarkhana controversy escalated on Wednesday as several hundred Marathi Ekikaran Samiti members were detained while protesting against the Jain community's demand to allow pigeon feeding at the spot. The Samiti members said they were angered by the remarks of Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay, who threatened an indefinite hunger strike and said he would "pick up arms" if necessary. Police denied the Samiti permission to protest a day earlier. By morning, heavy bandobast was in place with barricades, deployment of police teams, and officers stationed outside the adjoining Jain temple. Several shops in the vicinity remained shut. The protesters who arrived engaged in heated arguments with police, demanding to know why no action was taken against Jain community members who last week forcibly tore down the civic cover around the Kabutarkhana, allegedly even using knives and scissors. Dadar police detained 15-20 members and later let them go. Police haven't registered any FIR or NC against the protestors, saying the matter is still pending before court and they had detained a few protestors as a precautionary measure. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Are you ready to conquer a planet? Undo You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Gold Rates Today in Mumbai | Silver Rates Today in Mumbai "This is not a religious issue but a matter for the entire community," said one protester, adding if anyone was speaking about picking up weapons, "they should clarify against whom. We come from the lineage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and are also capable of picking up weapons. The Marathi manoos will not tolerate this." The crowd repeatedly chanted slogans of "Marathi mansacha vijay aso." In response, Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay clarified his community would not use weapons and planned to protest peacefully — but only after Paryushan. "When I said we will pick up 'shastra', I meant we would go on a hunger strike, following Gandhi's path of satyagraha. Even if someone assaults us, we will endure it. If anyone believes we are disrespecting the Marathi manoos, let me be clear — we will never take up arms. We believe in ahimsa," he said. He added while Rajasthan is the community's janmabhoomi, Maharashtra is their karmabhoomi, and they respect both Maharana Pratap and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "We are a peace-loving trading community. But if court decisions go against us, we will be compelled to protest. We did not use weapons to cut the Kabutarkhana cover, it was cut with a sharp tool used for cutting pipes," he said. Calling MNS chief Raj Thackeray "the god of the Marathi language," the monk urged him to intervene and end the row. (Inputs by Ahmed Ali & Pushkraj Vernekar) Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
India acts minimally, Pakistan rarely acts against rights abuses: US
WASHINGTON: The US government noted abuses in India and Pakistan in a shortened human rights report released on Tuesday that said India "took minimal credible steps" to combat the abuses while Pakistan "rarely took credible steps. " The Trump administration scaled back the annual US govt report on human rights worldwide, dramatically softening criticism of some allies and countries that have been President Donald Trump's partners. The State Department human rights documentation for India and Pakistan was also much shorter and scaled back this year. India has been an important US partner in recent years in Washington's effort to counter China's rise, although relations have been tense over Trump's imposition of a 50% tariff on goods from India. Pakistan is a non-NATO US ally. About India, the report said: "The govt took minimal credible steps or action to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses." On Pakistan, it added: "The govt rarely took credible steps to identify and punish officials who committed human rights abuses." Indian and Pakistani embassies in Washington had no immediate comment on the report released on Tuesday, which documented instances in 2024. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch fault PM Narendra Modi's govt for its treatment of minorities. They point to rising hate speeches, a religion-based citizenship law the UN calls "fundamentally discriminatory," anti-conversion legislation that challenges freedom of belief, the 2019 removal of Muslim-majority Kashmir's special status, and the demolition of properties owned by Muslims. India denied discrimination and says its policies, such as food subsidy programs and electrification drives, benefit everyone. (This is a Reuters story)
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
West Bengal migrant worker repatriated from Bangladesh after family moves Calcutta HC
Amir Sheikh, a 19-year-old migrant worker from Kaliachak in West Bengal's Malda district who was allegedly detained from Rajasthan in May and 'pushed back' into Bangladesh, was reunited with his family on Wednesday. Mr. Amir's family members said the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel handed him over to the Basirhat police in the State's North 24 Parganas district. Earlier this month, Ziyem Sheikh, the father of Mr. Amir, had filed a habeas corpus petition before the Calcutta High Court. The matter was heard before the Division Bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra. The counsel appearing for the BSF said Mr. Amir attempted to cross over to Indian territory on Tuesday and since he could not produce appropriate identification documents, he was apprehended and handed over to the officer in charge of the Basirhat police station. Speaking to The Hindu, his family contested the BSF's claims. 'I got a call this morning asking me to pick up my son from Basirhat. All this is happening because we approached the court,' Mr. Ziyem said. Refuting BSF's claims Trinamool Congress MP and chairperson of the West Bengal Migrant Welfare Board Samirul Islam also refuted the BSF's claims of the migrant worker 'inadvertently crossing the border'. He said an attempt was being made to 'cover up the pushing back of the migrant worker into Bangladesh by the BSF and the Union government by repatriating him'. 'Amir Sheikh from Kaliachak in Malda was deported to Bangladesh by the Rajasthan police with the help of the BSF. From the very beginning, we stood by his family. We helped Amir's father file a habeas corpus petition in the Calcutta High Court. Under pressure, the BSF has brought Amir back to West Bengal,' the MP said, adding that they even have the video Mr. Amir had recorded from Bangladesh. 'He was deported' 'We will legally prove that Amir was deported by the BSF and that he did not go there voluntarily,' Mr. Islam said. He also pointed out that the migrant worker was in the custody of Bangladeshi authorities and had the family not approached the court, he would have continued to languish in detention in the neighbouring country. The matter will come up for hearing on August 27. Hundreds of Bengali-speaking migrant workers have faced alleged detention and harassment in different States and asked to produce documents to prove they are not Bangladeshi nationals. Some migrant workers from West Bengal have claimed that they were 'pushed into' the neighbouring country but later repatriated with the help of Indian authorities.
