Mumbai: In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing language debate, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has stirred fresh controversy by issuing a stark ultimatum: speak Marathi or leave the state.
MNS Mumbai president Sandeep Deshpande took to social media platform X on Saturday to amplify the party’s hardline stand. “Those who show that they will not speak Marathi while living in Maharashtra are traitors to Maharashtra. Those who do not want to speak Marathi can leave Maharashtra. Otherwise, we will show the traitors of Maharashtra their worth,” Deshpande declared in a fiery post.
महाराष्ट्रात राहून मराठी बोलणार नाही हा माज दाखवणारे महाराष्ट्रद्रोहीच.ज्यांना मराठी मध्ये बोलायचं नाही ते महाराष्ट्र सोडून जाऊ शकतात .अन्यथा महाराष्ट्र द्रोह्याना त्यांची लायकी दाखवू
— Sandeep Deshpande (@SandeepDadarMNS) April 5, 2025
The post marks the latest salvo in MNS’s aggressive campaign to promote Marathi pride, as the party revs up its rhetoric ahead of crucial civic elections in cities including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, and Nagpur.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis weighed in on the issue on Friday, acknowledging the importance of promoting Marathi but issuing a clear warning. “It is not wrong to insist on the use of the Marathi language, but when doing so, if people take the law into their own hands, it will not be tolerated,” Fadnavis said, signaling disapproval of the MNS’s confrontational tactics.
The row has gained momentum in recent weeks following multiple incidents involving MNS workers confronting bank managers in Thane and Pune. In viral videos circulating on social media, the workers are seen aggressively questioning why Marathi wasn’t being used during customer interactions, reinforcing their demand that the language be made compulsory in public dealings.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray, at a recent Gudi Padwa rally, reiterated the party’s core agenda: prioritizing Marathi in all official and institutional communication. In typical Thackeray style, his message was blunt. “Those who deliberately avoid speaking Marathi will be slapped,” he warned, drawing cheers from his supporters and sharp criticism from opposition leaders.
