Ramdas Athawale Calls for Calm Amid Language Row, Says Opposition to Hindi is Unjustified

By A Staff Reporter

Mumbai: Amid the ongoing language row in Mumbai, Union Minister and President of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday addressed the controversy, urging political leaders to adopt a more balanced stance. He criticised both the rhetoric of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the recent remarks by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey that have sparked public backlash.

“What is happening in Mumbai is not right. The role of MNS is not appropriate,” Athawale stated. Referring to Dubey’s comments, he clarified, “Nishikant Dubey's statement is not acceptable to the public, but he did not say it for all Marathi people — only those who are doing 'dadagiri'.” He stressed that Dubey’s view does not represent the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) official position, describing it as a “personal opinion.”

Calling for a more inclusive outlook, Athawale urged MNS chief Raj Thackeray to “change his role,” adding, “We are also proud of Marathi, but opposing Hindi is not right.”