"When I received his (PM Modi) call at 8.44 pm on Saturday and the operator connected me to him, the PM said, 'Ujjwal ji mi Marathit bolu ka Hindi bolu (should I speak in Marathi or Hindi)'," Ujjwal Nikam said
PM Modi begins some of his speeches in Maharashtra in Marathi and then switches to Hindi, Ujjwal Nikam (above) told reporters. File Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
Noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who is among four persons nominated to Rajya Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu, on Sunday said that PM Modi called him to inform and spoke in Marathi, reported the PTI.
"Modi ji speaks excellent Marathi. He begins some of his speeches in Maharashtra in Marathi and then switches to Hindi," Nikam told reporters, according to the PTI.
"When I received his call at 8.44 pm on Saturday and the operator connected me to him, the PM said, 'Ujjwal ji mi Marathit bolu ka Hindi bolu (should I speak in Marathi or Hindi)'," Ujjwal Nikam said, as per the PTI.
"I told him that he has command over both languages and loves them. He told me that the President wants to hand over some responsibility to me and asked if I would be willing to accept it. And then he continued in Marathi," Ujjwal Nikam added, the news agency reported.
He said his nomination to the Rajya Sabha is the result of his decades-long work in the field of law.
"The BJP also showed faith in me during the Lok Sabha elections. Now, as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, I have even greater responsibility," he added, according to the PTI.
Ujjwal Nikam referred to his role in high-profile cases such as the 26/11 terror attack and the conviction of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab, the 1993 Mumbai blasts, and several other criminal trials.
"With the blessings I have received, I will strive to do good work. During the Kasab case, with the support of Amit Bhai (HM Amit Shah) and Devendra Fadnavis, we secured key testimony from David Headley, unmasking Pakistan's role. Our efforts must now go towards constructive national work," he said, as per the PTI.
Ujjwal Nikam had unsuccessfully contested his maiden Lok Sabha election in 2024 as a BJP candidate. He was defeated by Varsha Gaikwad of Congress in the Mumbai North Central controversy.
In a notification issued late Saturday night, the Union Home Ministry said the President has nominated former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Special Public Prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case Ujjwal Nikam, Kerala BJP leader C Sadanandan Master and Delhi-based historian Meenakshi Jain to the Rajya Sabha.
(with PTI inputs)
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