Mumbai: Mumbai has now become the latest battleground in the language debate after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray took a strong stance against RSS senior leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi’s remarks on Marathi. The controversy erupted when Joshi, speaking at an event in Mumbai, claimed that those migrating to Mumbai need not learn Marathi and referred to Gujarati as the predominant language in Ghatkopar.
Reacting sharply, Aditya Thackeray asserted, “The language of Maharashtra will always be Marathi. People from outside come and settle here, but the identity of this land remains Marathi—just like Tamil in Tamil Nadu and Kannada in Karnataka. The BJP’s ideology revolves around disrespecting Maharashtra.”
Challenging Joshi’s statement, Thackeray added, “Saying that Gujarati is the language of Ghatkopar is absolutely incorrect. Mumbai’s language is Marathi. This government even stalled the Marathi Bhasha Bhavan project because they want to disrespect Maharashtra and the Marathi language.”
Amid the rising tensions, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reassured that the government remains committed to preserving Marathi education. “We have given clear instructions that no Marathi school will be shut down. Teaching Marathi has been made mandatory across schools, and a monitoring mechanism is being put in place to ensure compliance,” Fadnavis stated.
