Mumbai: Ahead of civic elections, including in Mumbai, Maharashtra BJP leader Kripashankar Singh has written to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath demanding the introduction of Marathi as an optional language in schools in the northern state.
Singh stated that learning Marathi will improve the job prospects of UP students in Maharashtra, including in the state government. Taking a swipe, the ruling Congress said Singh's letter is the BJP's "confession" that the Adityanath government has failed to generate employment.
"If Marathi is made an optional language in secondary and higher secondary schools then that may help students in getting better jobs in Maharashtra. I request you to include Marathi as an optional language in Uttar Pradesh schools," Singh, who is vice president of Maharashtra BJP, said in the letter.
Singh had served as a cabinet minister in the erstwhile Congress government in Maharashtra in 2004. "I have been living in Maharashtra for the last 50 years. During my tenure, I noticed that when students (from UP) come to Maharashtra, they face several problems due to the lack of knowledge of the Marathi language. Also, there are many vacancies in the state government or corporations that require the knowledge of the Marathi language," he said.
Singh also maintained that he has been maintaining a good relationship with Uttar Pradesh, especially with the Poorvanchal region. "Many students after completing their higher secondary examinations migrate to Maharashtra in search of jobs, hence the request (to teach Marathi) is made to the UP chief minister," he added.
Elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other civic bodies in Maharashtra are due in the next few months. A bulk of voters in Mumbai and the metropolitan region have roots in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The Congress, which is a constituent of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government, said Singh's letter is the "confession of BJP" that the Adityanath government has miserably failed in generating employment in UP and is dependent on Maharashtra for generating jobs.
"Same Adityanath blamed Maharashtra for ill-treating migrants while his own govt was responsible for the same. In an attempt to catch attention of the North Indian voters in Mumbai as the MCGM elections are imminent, @BJP4Mumbai has exposed itself and also the incompetency of its own govt in UP, " Sawant tweeted.
