30 June,2025 02:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Protesters were holding banners stating " Proud of being Marathi", " I am Marathi". Pic/ Sameer Abedi
Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), organised a protest outside the Legislative Assembly on Monday to express their opposition to the Maharashtra government's three-language policy.
MVA leaders were seen holding banners with slogans such as, "The three-language policy is unacceptable, please kill me, " and "What to do for votes, please kill me."
Criticising the Maharashtra government over the three-language policy, NCP-SCP MLA Rohit Pawar said that when Marathi journalists and social organisations united in opposition, the government was compelled to withdraw the resolution.
In an interview with reporters outside the Maharashtra Assembly, Pawar remarked, "Several political parties opposed the Government Resolution (GR) issued by the Maharashtra government regarding the three-language policy. Marathi journalists and social organisations also voiced their dissent. When all stakeholders united on this issue, their collective stance overpowered the government, ultimately leading to the withdrawal of the GR on the three-language policy."
He further clarified that the opposition is not directed against the Hindi language itself but rather against the obligation to teach Hindi in primary schools.
"We are not against the Hindi language. However, we are against the compulsory teaching of Hindi in primary education," Pawar said.
The Maharashtra Government cancelled two GRs on the implementation of the three-language policy on Sunday, following heavy criticism from the opposition, which accused it of "imposing Hindi" on the people of the state.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, announcing the cancellation of the resolutions that were passed on April 16 and June 17, said that a committee will be formed to discuss the implementation of the three-language formula in the state.
"A committee under Dr Narendra Jadhav will be formed to discuss the implementation of the three-language formula in the state... Until the committee submits its report, both government resolutions (of April 16 and June 17) have been cancelled by the government," Fadnavis said.
On April 16, the Maharashtra government passed a resolution that mandated Hindi as the compulsory third language in Marathi and English-medium schools.
However, in response to the backlash, the government revised the policy on June 17 through an amended resolution, stating, "Hindi will be the third language. For those who want to learn another language, at least 20 willing students are required."
(With ANI inputs)
