Akhil Bharatiya Karyakarini Sadasya of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bhaiyyaji Joshi, has addressed the controversy surrounding his recent statement, emphasising that there is no question of denying Marathi as the language of Mumbai.
Speaking to ANI, Bhayyaji clarified, “Due to one of my statements, a misunderstanding has occurred. There is no question that the language of Mumbai is not Marathi. The language of Maharashtra is Marathi. Mumbai is in Maharashtra, and naturally, the language of Mumbai is Marathi.”
Highlighting Mumbai’s multilingual nature, he added, “Different languages are spoken in India. People speaking different languages live in Mumbai as well. So, it is a natural expectation that they should also come here and learn Marathi, understand Marathi, and read Marathi.”
Joshi lauded Mumbai as an example of harmonious coexistence, saying, “I think that this is a great example of co-existence that people speaking so many different languages in India live together. I think that Mumbai is also an ideal example of this.”
Reiterating the expectation for newcomers to embrace Marathi, he said, “There is a natural expectation that a person coming to Mumbai should understand Marathi, speak Marathi, learn Marathi, and read Marathi. This is the only expectation. I have nothing more to say than this.”
He also stressed his respect for all languages while reaffirming his linguistic roots. “My mother tongue is Marathi. But I also respect the existence of all languages… I request everyone to see it from the same perspective.”
RSS considers all Indian languages as national languages and respects the country’s multilingual diversity. However, certain forces deliberately look for faults to create distractions.
