24 June,2026 02:56 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rahul Narwekar expresses regret for Marathi pronunciation errors (File pic)
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, on Wednesday, amid the ongoing Maharashtra Monsoon Session, expressed deep regret over the pronunciation and reading errors committed during Monday's condolence motions in Marathi.
Responding to severe backlash on social media and criticism from MNS chief Raj Thackeray, BJP leader Narwekar, while sitting in the chair in the state assembly, highlighted that the mistakes were entirely inadvertent.
Narwekar attributed the lapses to a faint printout, small font size, and technical errors in the brief supplied to him, according to IANS.
Emphasising his immense pride in the Marathi language, Narwekar stated that he never intended to insult legendary singer Asha Bhosle, adding, "If the sentiments of the state or the House have been hurt, I express my sincere regret."
Narwekar, while regretting his mistake, asserted, "The text given to me for reading the condolence motion contained certain errors, which unfortunately got read out as they were. There were twelve condolence motions in total. The printout I received was faint, and the font size was very small, alongside a few technical glitches," as cited by IANS.
Defending his track record, Narwekar emphasised his respect for the state's official language. "Like everyone else, I take immense pride in the Marathi language - perhaps even more so. Over my past four years as Speaker, I have delivered numerous speeches and conducted extensive House proceedings seamlessly in Marathi. No one, let alone the Speaker of the Assembly, could ever think of disrespecting an icon like the late Asha Tai Bhosle."
Narwekar further added, "What happened was purely an inadvertent error, and it should not be misinterpreted. However, if the sentiments of the citizens of the state or the members of this House have been hurt, I express my sincere regret," as cited by IANS.
Narwekar's move comes amid controversy over pronunciation and factual errors while reading out a condolence motion. The row began during Monday's legislative proceedings when Speaker Rahul Narwekar moved a condolence resolution to pay tribute to the legendary playback singer, the late Asha Bhosle, and political ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya.
While reading the text in Marathi, Narwekar committed multiple mispronunciations and blunders, including mistakenly referring to Asha Bhosle's iconic father, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, as Deendayal Mangeshkar.
The mistakes quickly triggered a massive wave of trolling on social media, with netizens questioning the Speaker's Marathi articulation.
Following the incident, MNS chief Raj Thackeray launched a scathing attack on Narwekar, heavily criticising the butchering of the language on such a solemn occasion and expressing dismay that no other lawmaker in the House stepped up to correct the errors.
MNS chief's viral criticism was highly sarcastic, mockingly questioning if someone had "eaten bhel from the paper before it was handed over to the Speaker" because the reading was so heavily disjointed.
(With inputs from IANS)
