‘Say we are trying to learn': Ajit Pawar speaks out amid assault cases over Marathi row
Pawar urged caution on the issue, suggesting that those unfamiliar with Marathi should convey that they are making efforts to learn it.
The remarks come even as an attendant at a Nanded bus stop was reportedly assaulted by MNS workers for 'not speaking in Marathi.'
'There are people who live in Maharashtra but don't speak Marathi fluently. Still, they should say, 'We respect the language. Our mother tongue may be Hindi or English, but we are trying to learn Marathi.' Even saying this much can help avoid trouble,' Pawar told reporters.
'But sometimes people react by saying, 'I won't speak,' and that approach doesn't work. One should also consider the views of locals,' he added.
Pawar's statement comes amid a language row in Maharashtra with some opposition parties resisting the "imposition of Hindi" in the state. Recently, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers have been involved in several incidents where non-Marathi Hindi speakers have been assaulted for not speaking in Marathi.
In Nanded, the attendant was assaulted by MNS workers, who punched and slapped him for allegedly insulting the Marathi language. In a separate incident, MNS workers forcibly removed Gujarati signboards of several hotels along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway in Thane and Palghar districts on Thursday, demanding Marathi signage.
Speaking on the language row, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that a language cannot be a means of discord and a Marathi person can never be narrow-minded on such issues.
"Language is a means of communication, but never of discord. Mother tongue is important. Every Marathi person is proud of the Marathi language. Insistence on Marathi is natural and justified, but we should also respect other Indian languages," Fadnavis said while speaking at JNU in New Delhi.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
15 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: The great paper chase in Bihar; TCS layoffs; and more
Good morning, India live to fight another day against England, after a glorious draw at Manchester. It is rare to see Ravindra Jadeja, often overlooked despite his stats, and Washington Sundar, always placed among the lower-order, return as heroes. That was until last night. Jadeja and Washington were at 89 and 80, respectively, when English skipper Ben Stokes offered to end and draw the match. Rules allow both captains to suspend play if there is no prospect of either side achieving a victory. They only had the last hour of play left on Day 5 of the fourth Test. But India refused. The all-rounder duo had Test tons in sight. The players eventually shook hands after Washington got his maiden Test century. The series stands at 2-1, with England in the lead. With one match left at The Oval, India have a golden opportunity to level the series 2-2 — an encouraging prospect for the young squad. On that note, let's get to today's edition. The Supreme Court will likely take up the clutch of petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls today. Opposition parties and civil society groups have raised concerns over the potential disenfranchisement of existing electors. The first phase of the SIR ended on July 26, where 7.23 crore of the 7.89 crore electors submitted enumeration forms, within the deadline (July 25). The draft roll will be published on August 1, and in the subsequent month, electors will be required to submit documents to establish their eligibility. After the documents are verified, the final electoral roll will be published on September 30. As many as 65 lakh names of those who have passed away, migrated permanently, registered more than once, or are untraceable, will be removed from the existing rolls, the Election Commission has said. In the second phase, the EC said volunteers will be deployed to help electors obtain the documents to meet the September 1 submission deadline. However, this is no easy task. My colleague Santosh Singh, who spoke to a dozen Block Level Officers (BLOs) across the state, reports that many can still not file one of the 11 documents needed. The Opposition parties, meanwhile, have hit out at the SIR as a 'citizenship verification' drive — an exercise that remains outside the purview of the election watchdog. In other news from the poll-bound Bihar, LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan's fresh salvos at the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government for the 'deteriorating law and order' in the state have left the alliance in an uncomfortable position. The Opposition has latched onto the opportunity to portray that an NDA constituent's criticism shows Kumar was 'not in control' of the state administration. The Hunt – The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case, the latest Hindi crime thriller on OTTs, has earned widespread appreciation for its deft handling of the politically sensitive events that shook the nation. How does one go about making such a series without hurting any sentiments? The show's maker and renowned filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor says it's all about reducing the scope of 'misrepresentation'. Is it harder to make such shows or movies now compared to 15 years ago? Kukunoor contends the world is 'hypersensitive' and unlike years ago, when the 'gatekeepers were defined', now 'people can come at you from any angle'. Read all that he had to say at the latest Idea Exchange. Under lens: The Indian Express has found that several law officers appointed by the Haryana government earlier this month are relatives of VIPs, including politicians and bureaucrats. Just days ago, the appointment of Vikas Barala, son of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subhash Barala and an accused in a sexual harassment case, as Assistant Advocate General had come under scrutiny. On the line: A Supreme Court-appointed panel has proposed creating 'power corridors' for overhead transmission lines in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The move, which will revise the boundaries of conservation zones, offers relief to renewable energy companies from blanket restrictions on power lines in habitats of the Great Indian Bustard. Axed: Tech giants worldwide have been laying off staff with the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and newer technologies. India's largest IT services firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), is set to execute the first major layoff in the Indian IT sector. The company will slash around 12,200 jobs or 2% of its workforce as part of the cost-cutting exercise. Damn! Last week, China formally began constructing a massive dam on the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra River in Tibet), close to the border with Arunachal Pradesh. Once completed, the $167.8 billion hydropower project is billed to become the world's largest. However, there are fears in India of a potential 'water bomb' in the Siang region or of China's use of the dam as a weapon (it could cut off water flow). Divya A explains in detail. Tariffs and deals: The United States and the European Union have reached a basic framework for a new trade deal, which would fetch 15% tariffs on EU exports to the US, half of the earlier duties proposed by President Donald Trump. The August 1 deadline to carve out a deal to escape Trump's sweeping tariffs is just around the corner, and India has yet to finalise its deal with the US. Among the several hiccups, the latest concern is a US provision, seeking legal commitment from the Indian side to refrain from applying 'digital taxes' on services offered by American firms. Amid this global upheaval over US tariffs, Jahangir Aziz, Chief Emerging Markets Economist at J P Morgan, opines that the uncertainty is unlikely to abate even after August 1 and signed trade deals. A pending US court ruling on the President's powers to impose such tariffs may make these trade deals moot. The Indian government launched the ambitious Project Cheetah in September 2022 to reintroduce the wild cat species in the country. As many as 20 cheetahs were brought to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, translocated from Namibia and South Africa. After several deaths and births, Kuno's cheetah population now stands at 26. Efforts are underway to bring home the next batch of cheetahs to replenish the population. However, political changes in South Africa have complicated the plans, while discussions remain underway with Botswana and Kenya. 🎧 Before you go, do tune in to the latest '3 Things' podcast episode, where we discuss the growing screen addiction among children and changing trends in India's car market. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
India Today
26 minutes ago
- India Today
Parliament Monsoon Session Live: Lok Sabha braces for Op Sindoor debate, Rajnath Singh to speak at noon
As the Lok Sabha took up the Operation Sindoor debate on Monday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said the discussion must distinguish between two separate issues — the success of the Armed Forces and the recurrence of terror incidents under the BJP-led government. "Firstly, one has to accept that there are two separate issues. Firstly, we congratulate the Armed Forces for their bravery and valour during Operation Sindoor. If they had got a chance, they might have even taken POK. Before the Pahalgam attack, there was another incident that the public has not yet been informed about. The question is - why are terrorist incidents happening again and again under the BJP government? Where did the Pahalgam terrorists go? The government should answer where these terrorists went?" he said while speaking to reporters outside Parliament. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday called for a non-partisan approach to the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament, urging both the ruling alliance and the Opposition to set aside political differences during the discussion. "The discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' starting in Parliament today should be approached by both the ruling party and the opposition by rising above partisan politics," Mayawati posted on X in Hindi. "Going forward, the government and the opposition should work together under a solid strategy to ensure that no woman's sindoor is wiped away and no mother has to lose her son; this is also the demand of the time," the BSP chief added in the same post. As the Lok Sabha prepares for a debate on Operation Sindoor on Monday, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju took to social media with a sharply worded remark signalling the government's strong stance against cross-border terrorism. "The discussion on #OperationSindoor begins today," Rijiju wrote, adding, "When Ravan crossed the Laxman Rekha, Lanka burned. When Pakistan crossed the red lines drawn by India, terrorist camps faced fire!" As the Lok Sabha gears up for a debate on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat on Monday questioned the Centre's handling of national security and accused it of delaying a serious discussion on the matter. "We hope that the government adopts a positive attitude... National security, security of citizens, foreign policy and Pakistan's policy of nurturing terrorism will be discussed in detail... It took the government 90 days to hold a discussion on this... If someone is criticising the government... then they should take it in a very positive manner. We hope the government will not show any bias in this," Bhagat said while speaking to news agency ANI. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is unlikely to participate in the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor today. MPs keen on speaking during key debates are required to route their requests through the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) office. As of now, Tharoor has not submitted any such request, party sources said. (With inputs from Rahul Gautam.) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to open the debate on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha around noon today, leading the government's response on the high-stakes issue, news agency ANI reported. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are expected to lead the government's charge in the Lok Sabha as the House prepares for a high-voltage debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor starting Monday, sources told India Today TV. They also indicate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may intervene to articulate the government's 'robust' stand on terrorism. The debate marks a shift from the disruptions that plagued the first week of the Monsoon session, with both the ruling NDA and the Opposition bracing for a heated face-off on national security. The Congress has issued a three-day whip to its Lok Sabha MPs, directing them to be present in the House from Monday as a debate looms over the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. The party is preparing to take on the government over the two high-stakes security issues, both carrying significant national and foreign policy implications.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Discuss Operation Sindoor by rising above partisan politics: Mayawati
The first week of disruption in Parliament's Monsoon Session is set to give way to a fiery debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor from Monday Press Trust of India Lucknow Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati said the discussion on Operation Sindoor, starting in Parliament on Monday, should be approached by both the ruling alliance and the opposition by "rising above partisan politics". The first week of disruption in Parliament's Monsoon Session is set to give way to a fiery debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor from Monday as the ruling alliance and the opposition prepare to lock horns over the two issues steeped in national security and foreign policy imperatives. The BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and opposition parties are expected to field their top guns during the discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. "The discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' starting in Parliament today should be approached by both the ruling party and the opposition by rising above partisan politics," Mayawati posted on X in Hindi. "Going forward, the government and the opposition should work together under a solid strategy to ensure that no woman's sindoor is wiped away and no mother has to lose her son; this is also the demand of the time," the BSP chief added in the same post. Sources said on Sunday that Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar would be speaking on the issues amid indications that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may make an intervention to convey his government's "robust" stand against terrorism. Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, respectively, may lead the charge against the government along with Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, besides a host of other members. According to the listed agenda of the Lok Sabha, the House will have a "special discussion on India's strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam". (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.)
