A controversy over the Marathi language has once again erupted in Maharashtra. This time, the incident took place in Pune, where a few students asked an auto-rickshaw driver to speak in Marathi. In response, the driver said, "I am a Mohammedan, I will not speak Marathi." The video of this incident has gone viral on social media.
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Reportedly, the incident took place at Pune Railway Station. While drinking tea, the students and the auto-rickshaw driver had an argument over the Marathi language. When the students got into the rickshaw, they started recording. In the footage, the auto-rickshaw driver is heard saying that he doesn’t know Marathi. "Hume Marathi nahi aata hai, toh kya karega," the driver says. "Pune mein aakar Marathi hi bolna padega," one student replies. "Hum Mohammedan hai, Marathi nahi bolenge," the driver argues further.
This isn’t the first incident where an argument has taken place over the Marathi language. Last year, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers beat up a chemist for allegedly "insulting" the Marathi language in Pune's Dhanori area.
According to the video, the chemist, who was not from Maharashtra, had earlier "insulted" Marathi by refusing to speak the language. "Is it written anywhere that one must compulsorily speak Marathi?" the chemist is seen asking people in the viral video. In response, the people told the chemist that he would have to face consequences for his actions. Two days after this incident, MNS workers barged into his shop and severely beat him up. They even threw ink on his face and asked him to apologise for "insulting" the Marathi language.
