Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was forced to issue a clarification on Thursday to defuse a serious political storm which erupted after RSS leader Suresh ‘Bhayyaji’ Joshi made a statement in the Gujarati-dominated Western suburb of Vile Parle in Mumbai, which was perceived to be against the Marathi language.

Speaking at a public event in Mumbai’s Gujarati-dominated Vile Parle suburb on Wednesday, Joshi said, “There is no single language in Mumbai. There are many languages in Mumbai. Different areas have different languages, just like the language of Ghatkopar area is Gujarati. Similarly, you will find fewer Hindi speakers in Girgaon. There you will see people who speak Marathi. There is no need for a person coming to Mumbai to learn Marathi”.

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The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition promptly made it a major issue and criticised RSS leader Joshi after which Fadnavis said on the floor of the Maharashtra assembly, “I haven’t heard what Bhaiyyaji said, but the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra is Marathi. Everyone should learn Marathi and should speak the language. Marathi is a part of the state’s culture and identity, and it is the duty of every citizen to learn it. If you love and respect your language, you do the same for other languages. I am sure Bhaiyyaji will agree with me”.

Fadnavis spoke up after Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MLA Bhaskar Jadhav raised the issue in the assembly on Thursday, seeking an explanation from the government. Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Ambadas Danve, attacked the Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government asking, “Do you endorse Bhayyaji Joshi’s statement?”

Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Rohit Pawar said, “The language of Mumbai is Marathi,” and demanded that the Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government must spell out its stance on Joshi’s statement.

Later, RSS leader Joshi himself issued a U-turn clarification saying, “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. 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”.

“I think that this is a great example of coexistence that people speaking so many different languages in India live together. I think that Mumbai is also an ideal example of this. But 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. My mother tongue is Marathi, but I also respect the existence of all languages. I request everyone to see it from the same perspective,” Joshi clarified.

However, by then the damage was already done and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded that Joshi must be booked for treason, alleging that Joshi’s remarks reflect the hidden agenda of the RSS and the BJP to divide Mumbai, while speaking to media persons at the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai.

“Just because Maharashtrians are welcoming, does not mean that anyone can hit them. The BJP has no regards for Marathi maanoos (man) because it knows he is going to vote for them. This is a sadistic mentality which has come to the fore. This is a ploy to break Mumbai. Bhaiyyaji Joshi is a petty man.

“A case of sedition should be filed against Bhaiyyaji Joshi. When I was CM, I had made a law to make Marathi compulsory in the state. His remarks are against the law,” Uddhav Thackeray said.

Thackeray dared Joshi to make such statements in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and then come back safely, while other opposition parties like Sharad Pawar-led NCP also attacked the BJP government for Joshi’s comments.

The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut accused Joshi of insulting Maharashtra. “Marathi is our state language and such a statement amounts to treason. His statement is treason. He came to Mumbai and said its language is not Marathi. Should the Chief Minister and the council of ministers tolerate this” Raut said.

Sharad Pawar-led NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad criticised RSS leader Joshi’s statement and accused the RSS of creating division based on language. “He has disrespected our mother language. He took one station’s name and claimed that its language is Gujarati, but he does not understand Mumbai.

“Whoever comes to Mumbai and embraces it never has to turn back. Earlier, they used to divide in the name of caste, then religion, and now it is language,” Awhad said.

Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray said, “Whether it’s Maharashtra’s language or Mumbai’s language, it is Marathi. Many people come to our state from different regions, settle here, and bring their dreams with them. They contribute, they grow, and everyone is welcome, but the language of this land, of Mumbai and of Maharashtra, is Marathi.

“Just as Tamil is the language of Tamil Nadu and Kannada is the language of Karnataka, I want to emphasise that Marathi is the language of Maharashtra”.

“Constantly we see that, from Koshyari to Koratkar to Solapurkar, all of them have been insulting Maharashtra, Maharashtra’s heroes and Maharashtra’s gods. If you see Koshyari, Koratkar and Solapurkar, they insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule.

“Today, Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi has insulted Marathi. This will not be tolerated. I challenge him to say something like this in Tamil Nadu or Gujarat. Only because he wants to divide Maharashtra, he is coming and doing this. This is the thought process of the Sangh,” Aaditya Thackeray said.