PUNE: Maharashtra cabinet minister Uday Samant on Wednesday pushed for formulating a strict policy to deal with people who he said prevent state residents from speaking in their mother tongue Marathi.The Marathi language minister asserted any attempt to prevent Maharashtra residents from communicating in the native tongue will not be tolerated and will invite stringent action.Responding to an incident in Thane district’s Dombivli area where some non-Marathi residents of a housing society reportedly opposed a socio-religious ceremony (haldi kunku) of the Marathi community on Monday, Samant said there was a need to formulate a policy to stop such episodes.”Marathi is our mother tongue, and any attempt to prevent us from speaking it must be met with stringent action. Such intimidation will not be tolerated. When we communicate with people from other states, we respect their language and do not insult them. Likewise, if anyone tries to stop us from speaking Marathi in our own state or from conducting cultural traditions like ‘haldi kunku’, then law must be made more stringent against such acts,” said Samant.The minister was speaking at a press conference organised to brief on the ‘Vishwa Marathi Sammelan’ (World Marathi Conference), which is being organised from January 31 to February 2 at Pune’s Fergusson College.Speaking about a recent controversy over Marathi not being used in cricket commentary on Hotstar, a popular streaming platform, during matches, Samant said except Marathi, commentary is taking place in all other languages.”I have spoken to authorities there about it. Be it, multiplexes, theatres, and any other establishments, I will be instructing them to ensure Marathi language is not met with any injustice,” he asserted.
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