BJP Demands Marathi Names for Mumbai-Born Penguin Chicks, Citing Cultural Roots and Language Pride
Mumbai, 5th June 2025: In an unusual twist to the ongoing identity politics in Mumbai, BJP leaders have now extended their ‘son-of-the-soil’ campaign to the animal kingdom. The demand? That penguin chicks born at the city’s Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo (Rani Baug) be given names in Marathi, citing their birth in Maharashtra as grounds for the request.
The protest, led by BJP’s Byculla MLA Nitin Bankar, took place outside the Mumbai civic body’s premises. While seen by some as a symbolic gesture ahead of the upcoming BMC elections, party leaders argue it’s about asserting linguistic and cultural identity.
“When the penguins were imported from overseas, we accepted their English names. But the chicks born here are, by all means, locals. They deserve names that reflect the soil they were born on,” said Bankar during the demonstration.
According to him, multiple letters and appeals had been submitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), but none were acknowledged. “The administration has ignored our repeated requests. I had formally written to them as well, but received no reply,” he added.
Bankar further justified the demand by referencing the classical status granted to the Marathi language. “If Marathi is a classical language of India, what stops us from naming some of the penguins in it?” he questioned.
The demand has sparked debate in the city, with some calling it a publicity stunt while others see it as a unique expression of local pride. The BMC has yet to issue an official response.
