MNS chief Raj Thackeray fired a fresh salvo on Monday when he demanded that all 288 newly elected legislators take their oaths in Marathi or face the ‘‘MNS music’’. ‘‘If anyone dares not to take the oath in Marathi, you will see what my MLAs can do. They will create a ruckus in the house,’’ he warned while addressing the media at MIG Club, Bandra (East). The MNS has 13 MLAs, six from Mumbai. Raj Thackeray said that Marathi was a local language and MLAs from across the state should respect it. ‘‘In Karnataka, a Marathi-speaking minister lost his portfolio because he was unable to speak the local language, which is Kannada. Will our legislators show a similar attitude towards Marathi?’’ he asked. While sources in Bangalore political circles said there is no knowledge of a minister losing his portfolio for such a reason, in Mumbai sources said the MNS is likely to create trouble in the house on the Marathi issue. Raj’s statement follows his recent warning to Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Asim Azmi, who had demanded the house agenda in Hindi. Reacting to Raj’s call for the oath to be taken in Marathi, Azmi said, ‘‘Nobody can dictate terms. The constitution permits me to take the oath in Hindi.’’ Sources said the MNS is likely to create trouble in the house on the Marathi issue. SP spokesperson Abdul Qadir Choudhary said, ‘‘It’s a serious threat. Law-enforcing authorities should ensure that our MLAs are safe and MNS legislators do not indulge in violence.’’ source : Times of India
i think creating such rules will create division in mindset of indian people. at government level we should think everyone as one as all the government officials are for the public. if one creates such issues in one state then other states would follow the same and india would no longer be a country of its people.
i think respecting marathi language is a different aspect than making it mandatory that members should take oath in it. in my view hindi language should be practiced all over india, amongst all states. marathi can be incorporated into schools as second language so that the language prevails and has its own position in the state.
