Maharashtra Language Policy Sparks Political Firestorm

The debate over the Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi compulsory in schools has escalated into a political showdown. Shiv Sena leaders Uddhav and Raj Thackeray are set to protest against this 'forceful imposition,' while Deputy CM Eknath Shinde accuses opponents of hypocrisy. Minister Dada Bhuse's resignation is also demanded.

In a heated debate over Maharashtra's proposal to mandate Hindi across all classes, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut announced a protest led by Uddhav and Raj Thackeray against what they term a 'forceful imposition' of the language. Raut emphasized plans to publicly burn the government's resolution.

During a media briefing, Raut highlighted, 'Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will protest the push for Hindi in state education, culminating in a demonstration in Mumbai.' This comes amid criticism from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who condemns the Shiv Sena (UBT) for what he calls 'double-faced politics.'

Shinde, countering Aaditya Thackeray's challenge for Minister Dada Bhuse's resignation, argued the previous administration supported multilingual education, including Hindi. He accused opponents of inconsistency and defended the current administration's policy of making Marathi mandatory in schools.

Aaditya Thackeray, voicing opposition, insisted that no language should be imposed, arguing that education should focus on enhancing existing curricula without overburdening students. He questioned the necessity of prioritizing Hindi, urging improvements to the existing educational framework.

(With inputs from agencies.)