NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal backs move to make Marathi mandatory in Govt offices

Speaking in Nashik, Bhujbal highlighted the importance of respecting local languages, and drawing comparisons with other states where native languages dominate official and social communication.

"People in Chennai, Telangana, and other states speak their language. If we can learn and speak Hindi, then other people can also learn Marathi. It is a good language," Bhujbal said.

He further added, "If we go to any state, then we should try to learn the language of that place."

This comes after the Maharashtra Government on Sunday issued an order to enforce the use of Marathi in government offices. All employees in government, semi-government offices, corporations and other government-related offices have been instructed to use Marathi with all the visitors in their offices except visitors from out of India and from other non-Marathi speaking states.

"If any government officer is violating this rule, a formal complaint can be filed with the in-charge of the office or the department for necessary action. Considering it an act of official indiscipline and if the complainant is not satisfied with the action taken against the violator, complainant can appeal about the same before the Marathi language committee of Maharashtra legislature," the order read.

The order stated that It is mandatory to have "printed alphabet" engraved in Roman script along with Marathi Devanagari script on computer keyboards procured through government grants.

"The use of Marathi language shall be mandatory in the advertisements given to the media by the enterprises under government-sanctioned activities," it further read.

The Maharashtra government has said that establishing Marathi as a language of knowledge and employment in the next 25 years is the main objective of the government.