Uddhav Thackeray demands Sedition case against Bhaiyyaji Joshi on Marathi Remarks

President of Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray demanded registration of a sedition case against the leader of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Bhaiyyaji Joshi for his remarks over the Marathi Language. 

Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday told reporters “A sedition case should be registered against Bhaiyyaji Joshi”. While attending a program on Wednesday, Joshi said that those coming to Mumbai do not need to learn Marathi. He also told that “Gujarati is the language of the ‘Ghatkopar’ area in Mumbai”. After that, his remark went viral and sparked controversy in the State. 

Shiv Sena UBT General Secretary Aditya Thackeray targeting RSS stated that “Constantly we see that we from Koshyari to Koratkar to Solapurkar -all of them have been insulting Maharashtra, Maharashtra's heroes and Maharashtra's gods. If you see Mr Koshyari, Mr Koratkar and Solapurkar they have insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. Today, Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi has insulted Marathi. This will not be tolerated. I challenge him to say something like this in Tamil Nadu or Gujarat. But only because he wants to divide Maharashtra, he is coming and doing this. This is the thought process of Sangh”.

Before him, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis said in the assembly that “In Mumbai, Maharashtra, and the State Government's language is Marathi and people who live here should learn it. Every citizen has to learn it because  Marathi is an essential part of the state’s culture and identity”. 

Congress Leader Nana Patole also criticized him that he is shifting focus from critical issues like farmer distress and unemployment in Maharashtra. "It is their government, it is RSS's government. Today, farmers' crops are drying up in Maharashtra. Can't RSS give suggestions to the government on this?" he added.