Opposition criticises Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane for remarks about using Marathi in madrasas
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader made the statements on Saturday while responding to reports that the Congress was launching Marathi schools in several parts of Mumbai, The Hindu reported.
Rane claimed that the Opposition should ask Muslims to teach Marathi in madrasas and recite the azaan in the language instead of Urdu, adding that 'otherwise, all you get from there is a gun'. The azaan, the Muslim call to prayer, is traditionally recited in Arabic, not Urdu.
Opposition parties described his statements as 'provocative' and aimed at 'creating tensions'.
Congress leader Amin Patel noted that madrasas already used English, Hindi and Marathi, The Hindu reported. Noting that language and religion were two different things, Patel asked: 'Is Nitesh Rane himself taking any Marathi classes?'
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Shashikant Shinde said that such decisions were the responsibility of the home ministry, The Indian Express reported.
'There is no need to create unnecessary tension,' the newspaper quoted him as saying. 'If he wants Marathi to be taught in madrasas, who is stopping him? As a minister, he should raise such matters in the Cabinet, not make provocative public statements.'
Shinde's party colleague Rohit Pawar claimed that Rane's remarks were politically motivated, The Hindu reported. He added that the statements were similar to the 'Hindu-Muslim card' used in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the 'Marathi versus non-Marathi' rhetoric in local polls.
'It is the home ministry's duty to investigate whether the madrasa has guns or bombs,' the newspaper quoted Shinde as saying. 'Mr Rane should not divide people for politics, or fuel communal sentiments.'
Accusing Rane of hypocrisy, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that if you looked at Rane's old social media posts, 'you will see that he used to welcome the Tablighi Jamaat's Ijtema. He used to extend greetings. And now he wants azaan in Marathi?'
The Ijtema is an annual three-day religious gathering organised by the Islamic organisation.
In June, the BJP leader had again stirred a controversy after he asked why environmentalists and animal activists were not appealing for Bakri Eid to be celebrated 'virtually'. Rane claimed that activists 'selectively' and only targeted Hindu festivals like Holi and Diwali.
Bakri Eid, also known as Eid-al-Adha, is a Muslim festival that commemorates the spirit of sacrifice. The festival entails the slaughtering of livestock.
At the time, Maharashtra Minority Commission chairperson Pyare Khan had claimed that Rane was making remarks by quoting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' name, which was 'not right'. He accused the minister of sowing divisions and targeting Indian Muslims in the name of Pakistan.
In April too, Khan had accused Rane of repeatedly engaging in hate speech
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