Politics over status of Marathi language

Mumbai: The opposition parties as well as Shiv Sena have cornered the BJP over status of Marathi as a classic language. Recently, Shiv Sena members of parliament met Union home minister Rajnath Singh over the demand to make Marathi as a classic language.

But they claimed that Mr Singh has expressed his inability to do so as other states would also demand the same if they made Marathi as a classic language.

State’s cultural minister Vinod Tawde has assured it many times. But now opposition and Sena said that state government is misleading the people over issue.

Sena Member of Par-liamentent Arvind Saw-ant, Srirang Barane and others met Mr Singh last week in Delhi, where they demanded that Mar-athi proposal be cleared.  Maharashtra government had sent a proposal of inclusion of Marathi in classic language of the India. The proposal was first sent in 2013.

BJP led state government has taken follow up of the issue for many times. Cultural minister Vinod Tawde had meetings with then union cultural minister Mahesh Sharma over the issue. Even cultural ministry has forwarded the proposal to union home ministry for the further process. On this basis, Mr Tawde had said that Marathi language would get the status in some time. But after the recent meetings of Sena MPs and Mr Singh the issue has again come into light.

“Mr Singh’s statement is shocking. State government should clarify the issue. It seems that state has failed to take proper follow up of the proposal,” said opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. The news of Mr Singh clarifying the union government's stand over status of classic language ahead of this Rajbhasha Din is set to stir the state politics.