Ramdas Athawale Supports Marathi Mandate But Opposes License Threats

"Their assertion is right--if you are to live in Maharashtra, you should know Marathi. However, those who do not know, they should at least be given a chance to learn. Whoever comes to Mumbai to earn their livelihood should not be threatened with license cancellations. People from all over the country come to Mumbai--be it for the film industry or any other industry--they are all now a part of the city. Mumbai has accepted everyone who has come to stay."

He was reacting to the remarks of Sanjay Raut, who earlier in the day told reporters about the need to make "Marathi important" in Maharashtra

"What is wrong if Marathi is made mandatory in Maharashtra? Is this a matter of discussion? If a law has been made, then everyone must follow it. If you are protesting against this, then you are not respecting the language and the state which is giving you employment."

MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande on Friday emphasised that one should learn the local language of a state while doing business.

"...If you are staying in Maharashtra, if you are staying in Karnataka, if you are staying in Tamil Nadu, if you are staying in Gujarat, you have to respect the local language. And it is expected that when you are doing a business in these states, you are expected to learn that local language. If you are showing an attitude, saying that we will not learn our language, do whatever you want, we will teach them a lesson... and the lesson will be in Marathi...," he told reporters.

MNS workers, in the past, have resorted to violence against non-Marathi-speaking individuals. The party workers have invited criticism and arrests for allegedly beating shopkeepers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for not speaking in Marathi.

Meanwhile, the State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik had announced that the Marathi language will be mandatory for driving rickshaws in the state, with checking of documents and language skills from May 1.

- ANI