Mumbai: Congress Leader Sachin Sawant Accuses BJP Of Neglecting Marathi Language; Demands Official Status Amid Election Preparations

Sachin Sawant, spokesperson for the Mumbai Congress, has accused the BJP-led central and state governments of neglecting the Marathi language, thereby risking making the state's 120 million population ignorant over the past 12 years. Sawant made this allegation amidst preparations for the upcoming state assembly elections, affirming that Congress would prioritize granting official status to Marathi.

Marathi, with a history spanning over twenty centuries, was slated for official recognition in Maharashtra in 2012, as highlighted in the 128-page report submitted to the central government. However, recent decisions from the central government have not addressed this issue.

Despite languages like Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam receiving official recognition, the Maharashtra government continues to push for Marathi to attain such status, with ongoing efforts under the leadership of Mahavikas Aghadi. Congress leaders, including Gaikwad and Thackeray from Shiv Sena, recently raised the matter in Parliament four days ago to grant Marathi official language status.

Assurances were given on December 21, 2014, to elevate Marathi to official language status. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reaffirmed on February 27, 2023, that the issue would be pursued through proper channels. However, BJP's declared Mahayuti government in the state has allegedly hindered the public's aspirations, as stated during a period of political uncertainty. Amidst these developments, RSS remains a political organization, rather than a cultural institution, as clarified by Sachin Sawant.