'Say Politely You're Learning Marathi': Ajit Pawar's Advice To Avoid 'Problem' Amid Language Row
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said that non-Marathi speakers living in the state should 'politely" say they are learning the language to avoid unnecessary conflict.
'People living here who do not know Marathi — they should say politely that 'We do not know Marathi, we are learning it'. If you say this, then there will be no problem," Pawar said.
He also urged non-Marathi speakers to be respectful towards the local language and show willingness to learn it. 'Nothing will happen to someone who says that we are living in Maharashtra but can't speak very good Marathi. However, we respect the language and will try to learn it," he said.
VIDEO | Here's what Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) said on the language row:'Nothing will happen to someone who says that we are living in Maharashtra but can't speak very good Marathi. However, we respect the language and will try to learn it. It doesn't… pic.twitter.com/2I1tJMdiOz
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 24, 2025
Pawar also emphasised that the language of the state one lives in should be respected. 'It doesn't happen always, people react badly many times. You should respect the language of the state you live in, at least a little bit," he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier today said that language cannot be a means of discord and a Marathi person can never be narrow-minded on such issues.
Speaking at an event, Fadnavis said his government's policy has been Marathi along with other Indian languages, even as parts of Mumbai were rocked by violent protests against the 'imposition of Hindi" in Maharashtra.
'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," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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