Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally informed senior public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam of his nomination to the Rajya Sabha, opening the conversation with a witty remark on language choice. “Should I speak in Marathi?” the Prime Minister asked, prompting laughter from both ends of the line, Nikam recalled.
Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Nikam revealed that PM Modi conversed with him in Marathi, a gesture seen as both respectful of the veteran lawyer’s Maharashtrian roots and significant against the backdrop of an ongoing political row in the state over the promotion and perceived imposition of languages.
“The Prime Minister called me and asked whether he should speak in Hindi or Marathi. We both laughed, and he continued in Marathi,” Nikam told ANI. “He said the President has decided to entrust me with a responsibility, and I accepted immediately.”
Language Debate in Maharashtra Turns Heated
The timing of the exchange between PM Modi and Nikam is noteworthy, as it coincides with heightened tensions in Maharashtra over language identity. Political parties like Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have recently accused the BJP of promoting Hindi at the cost of Marathi pride.
These political fault lines widened after incidents of violence and intimidation targeting migrants who allegedly refused to speak Marathi surfaced. In one such case, an auto-rickshaw driver in Palghar was publicly assaulted by suspected MNS and Sena supporters. A viral video showed him insisting he would speak only in Hindi, which triggered the attack.
Similar linguistic flashpoints were reported across Mira Road and Virar in recent days, including an attack on a businessman and a shopkeeper who were both allegedly pressured to converse in Marathi. These incidents have reignited the debate around regional linguistic pride versus linguistic freedom in cosmopolitan Maharashtra.
Ujjwal Nikam Among Four Nominated to Rajya Sabha
Meanwhile, Ujjwal Nikam’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha was part of a broader set of appointments announced by President Droupadi Murmu. In a Gazette notification issued Saturday, four eminent personalities were nominated to the Upper House under Article 80(1)(a) of the Constitution.
Nikam, celebrated for leading the prosecution in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case, as well as the 1993 Mumbai blasts and other landmark trials, joins the Rajya Sabha alongside:
Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Foreign Secretary and diplomat;
Dr. Meenakshi Jain, historian and educationist;
C. Sadanandan Master, social worker and teacher from Kerala.
All four were nominated for their distinguished service in law, diplomacy, education, and social work.
Nikam, expressing gratitude, said, “I thank the party leadership and PM Modi for the trust they’ve placed in me. I will strive to continue serving the nation through this new platform.”
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