Sanjay Dutt's Marathi Comments Spark Debate: NCP MLA Criticizes Actor's Remarks

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (SP) faction MLA Rohit Pawar has reacted to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt's recent remarks about not being able to learn Marathi, saying the actor's statement is a slap in the face of Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. In a video shared by news agency ANI on Tuesday, Pawar said Dutt had been invited to the event to attract a large crowd. He pointed out that Sarnaik was standing alongside the actor when the Minister said all of people, including autorickshaw drivers, should speak in Marathi. #WATCH | On actor Sanjay Dutt's statement on the Marathi language, NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar says, "When Sanjay Dutt came there, he was invited to gather as many people as possible. He came to the podium, and the minister who had done the Pratap Sarnaik was standing next to him, and… pic.twitter.com/W7ZUPx3a9T “He came to the podium, and the minister who had called him, Pratap Sarnaik, was standing next to him, and he raised the issue that everyone there, from auto drivers to others, should speak Marathi,” Pawar said. People living in Maharashtra should respect Marathi Speaking about the importance of Marathi, Pawar said nobody should be forced to speak the language, but those living in Maharashtra should respect it. “Our role is that if you were born in Maharashtra, no matter what caste, religion, or state you belong to—whether you're from Gujarat, MP, or anywhere else—if you were born here or live in Maharashtra, you should respect Marathi. You should respect Maharashtra's religion. It doesn't matter whether Marathi comes or not,” Pawar said. Taking a dig at Sarnaik, Pawar accused the minister of politicising the language issue and said he had in return been “slapped” by his own guest at his own event through Dutt's remarks. Pawar further pointed out that Dutt had spent several years at Pune's Yerwada Central Jail but had still said he could not learn Marathi. What did Sanjay Dutt say? Dutt's remarks during a recent Dahi Handi celebration attracted attention after he spoke about his inability to learn Marathi despite the time he had spent in Pune. “Pratap bhai, main 6 saal jail mein raha, Yerwada mein. Tab bhi Marathi nahi seekh paaya. Main thoda seekha tha,” Dutt said. Sanjay Dutt admits that despite being in Yerwada Jail for 6 yrs, he still couldn’t learn Marathi. But Shiv Sena Minister standing next to him (who has passed Diktat for Non-Marathi Auto & Taxi drivers to speak Marathi) & "Great Marathi Warriors" Thackeray bros won't have any… The actor was referring to his time in Pune's Yerwada Central Jail, saying that although he had picked up some Marathi, he had not been able to learn the language properly. His remark prompted Sarnaik to laugh. Dutt also thanked Sarnaik for inviting him to the event and spoke about their longstanding association. Marathi language debate continues The exchange has since drawn attention amid the wider political debate surrounding the Marathi language in Maharashtra. To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/