Days after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists went on a rampage, beating up bank staff for not speaking in Marathi, party chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday appealed to them to stop the agitation while praising them for drawing attention to the issue.
The appeal comes in the wake of widespread condemnation from bank officials and a second warning from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday that action will be taken against those who break the law.
In an open letter to MNS workers, Thackeray wrote: “First of all, I congratulate you for once again raising your strong voice for the Marathi issue in Maharashtra. I had ordered you at the Gudi Padwa gathering to check whether transactions are being done in Marathi in banks in Maharashtra, and if not, inform the bank administration about it. From the next day, you went to banks across Maharashtra and insisted on the use of Marathi, which was a good thing”
He went on, “This not only sent the message that no one can take Marathi language and Marathi people for granted, but also showed the organisational strength of the MNS, which is present everywhere,” Thackeray wrote, adding: “Now we can stop the agitation because we have created enough awareness on these issues, and have shown a glimpse of what can happen if this (use of Marathi) does not happen.”
Earlier, on Saturday morning, Shiv Sena leader and the state’s Minister for Industries and Marathi language, Uday Samant, met Thackeray. “He has made some suggestions on the use of Marathi language. I will speak to CM Fadnavis and both deputy CMs regarding this,” Samant said after the meeting.
The MNS chief said that the most important responsibility is that of the government. “Yesterday, while talking to the media, the Chief Minister said we will not let anyone take the law into their hands. We do not want that either, but if you are the guardian of the law, then isn’t it your job to implement the rules of the Reserve Bank? You should make banks and other establishments respect Marathi, then we will definitely not take the law into our hands,” he said.
Addressing a Gudi Padwa rally at Shivaji Park in Central Mumbai last Sunday, Thackeray had said that the party will not hesitate to slap people residing in the state if they refuse to speak Marathi. He had said, “In our Mumbai, they tell us that they cannot speak Marathi… They will get a slap on the face… Every state has its language and it must be respected. In Mumbai, Marathi should be respected.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
