Hindi-Marathi row: Was Sambhaji Maharaj a fool to learn 16 languages, asks Sena MLA

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad cited the legendary reputation of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj as a polyglot to attack Uddhav and Raj Thackeray for their strident opposition to Hindi and the three-language policy in state schools.

The Thackeray cousins had held a joint rally, their first in two decades, in Mumbai on Saturday to mark their "success" in getting the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation to withdraw two government resolutions (GRs) on the three language policy under NEP 2020 and teaching of Hindi from Class 1 in English and Marathi medium schools.

At the event, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, leaders of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, respectively, had vowed to oppose all attempts by the government to "impose" Hindi and "sideline" Marathi in the state.

"Was Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj a fool to learn 16 languages? Tarabai and Jijabai knew multiple languages, including Hindi. Were they fools as well? We should all learn as many languages as we can," Gaikwad told reporters on Saturday.

"Indulging in politics on the issue of language is wrong. We should even learn Urdu if we want to stop terrorism. I have said this several times," the Buldhana MLA asserted while attacking the Thackeray cousins.

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, as per historians, was a highly educated monarch who displayed mastery over several languages, including Sanskrit, Marathi and Hindustani, and his works in these languages are considered as having very high scholastic merit.