A fresh political controversy has emerged in Maharashtra after Mira Bhayandar BJP MLA Narendra Mehta questioned Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik’s response to actor Sanjay Dutt’s comments about his inability to speak Marathi.
The dispute centres on a Dahi Handi celebration organised by Sarnaik, where Dutt was asked to address the gathering in Marathi. The actor attempted a greeting, saying, “Tumha sarvanna namaskar,” before making a light-hearted reference to his time in Pune.
Dutt said that despite spending six years in Yerwada jail in Pune, he still could not learn Marathi.
The remark drew laughter at the event, with a video appearing to show Sarnaik smiling in response.
Narendra Mehta Questions ‘Double Standard’
Mehta subsequently criticised the minister over what he described as a difference in the way Sarnaik deals with well-known personalities and ordinary people working in the transport sector.
In a video message, the BJP MLA made it clear that he did not object to Dutt’s inability to speak Marathi.
“He doesn’t know it, that’s fine, I have no objection to that,” Mehta said.
However, he questioned why Sarnaik did not object to Dutt’s statement at an event where the minister himself was present.
Mehta drew a comparison with Sarnaik’s campaign promoting Marathi communication among auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers. According to the MLA, ordinary drivers should not face pressure over language while celebrities are treated differently when making similar remarks.
The BJP leader further escalated his criticism by accusing Sarnaik of having a gap between his public statements and actions and referring to him as a “dummy minister.”
Mehta also brought Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde into his criticism of the Transport Minister.
Sanjay Dutt’s Marathi Comment Becomes Political Flashpoint
What began as a brief exchange at a Dahi Handi celebration has now become part of Maharashtra’s larger debate over the use of Marathi in public life.
Sarnaik has been pushing for greater use of Marathi by auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers while interacting with passengers. The issue has generated political reactions, particularly over whether language proficiency should be made a compulsory requirement for transport workers.
Mehta’s attack has shifted the focus towards the alleged difference in treatment between ordinary transport workers and celebrities.
The controversy also follows criticism from NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, who had reacted to Dutt’s comments and linked them to Sarnaik’s Marathi campaign.
Government Defers Marathi Requirement for Drivers
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has reportedly deferred by one year the proposed Marathi language requirement for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers in Mumbai and other parts of the state.
The decision has given the ongoing political debate another dimension, with questions being raised over how Maharashtra should promote Marathi while balancing the realities of a multilingual population.
For now, Dutt’s casual comment at the Dahi Handi event has triggered a much larger political confrontation, with Mehta using the episode to directly challenge Sarnaik’s approach to the Marathi language issue.
