CM Fadnavis: Mumbai Belongs to Marathi People, No Tolerance for Arrogance
Mumbai, 20th December 2024: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that an FIR has been lodged against Akhilesh Shukla, a state government official in Mumbai, for making derogatory remarks about Marathi during a confrontation with a couple. Fadnavis’ statement in the legislative council followed a 10-minute adjournment after heated exchanges between the opposition and the treasury benches over the Marathi and non-Marathi issues. The opposition accused the ruling BJP of fostering such incidents due to their “arrogance of power.”
Fadnavis remarked, “Mumbai and Maharashtra belong to Marathi people. Occasionally, individuals like Shukla display arrogance and make offensive remarks. We will not rest until such arrogance is addressed.”
The controversy began when Shiv Sena UBT MLC Anil Parab raised concerns in the house about the mistreatment of Marathi-speaking people by non-Marathi speakers. Parab recounted an incident where Shukla, an employee of the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), allegedly insulted a couple named Deshmukh, saying, “Ten Marathi people sweep the floor in my office,” and told them not to display Marathi power in front of him. Parab also cited reports of a woman being denied a commercial rental property due to her Maharashtrian identity. He criticized the BJP’s alleged push for Marwari to become the official language, calling it “arrogance of power.”
The treasury benches immediately objected to the claim of BJP arrogance, resulting in a shouting match. Council Chairman Ram Shinde then adjourned the house for 10 minutes.
