Mumbai, Feb 27 (IANS) The political face-off between Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has intensified over the implementation of mandatory Hindi in Maharashtra schools.

Speaking at an event on the occasion of Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din, Thackeray on Friday responded to allegations that his previous government had approved a report making Hindi compulsory from Class 1.

The controversy ignited when Fadnavis, on Thursday, claimed in the Legislative Assembly that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, led by Thackeray, had accepted a committee report recommending that English and Hindi be made compulsory subjects from Class 1 to 12.

Fadnavis presented minutes from a cabinet meeting dated January 20, 2022, asserting that the recommendations of the Mashelkar Committee were formally approved under Thackeray’s leadership.

Thackeray launched a scathing counter-attack, clarifying the timeline of events. While he admitted to receiving the report, he emphasised that the process was halted by the political crisis that led to the fall of his government.

“I accepted the report in a literal sense; I took it in my hands. However, the implementation committee meeting never took place. Before that could happen, you (the current government) went on tours to Surat and Guwahati to topple our government,” he stated.

Thackeray questioned why the current government is obsessed with this specific report while cancelling many other decisions made by the MVA.

He criticised the delay in constructing the ‘Marathi Bhasha Bhavan’, noting that while BJP offices are built quickly, the centre for the Marathi language remains unfinished.

Thackeray expressed pride in making Marathi compulsory during his tenure, but voiced regret that such a mandate is even necessary in Maharashtra.

The war of words highlights the ongoing struggle for the “pro-Marathi” narrative in the state.

Thackeray accused the BJP of “grinding old flour”, spreading repetitive narratives to make them seem like truth, while CM Fadnavis maintains that the documentary evidence proves the MVA’s initial consent to the Hindi language policy.

–IANS

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