Actor Sanjay Dutt’s light-hearted remark about his inability to learn Marathi during his time in Pune’s Yerwada jail has sparked a fresh political controversy in Maharashtra.
The incident took place at a Dahi Handi event where Maharashtra Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik asked Dutt to speak in Marathi.
Responding to the request, Dutt said he had spent six years in Yerwada Jail but still could not learn Marathi, before laughing. The remark quickly drew criticism from political leaders amid an ongoing debate over the use and promotion of Marathi in Maharashtra.
BJP MLA questions Sarnaik’s reaction
BJP MLA Narendra Mehta questioned Sarnaik for laughing at Dutt’s comment.
Mehta contrasted the incident with what he described as the treatment of ordinary people over the Marathi language issue, claiming that auto-rickshaw drivers and others have faced threats or violence over language-related disputes.
“If an actor does not know Marathi, he laughs at it, while on the other hand ordinary autorickshaw drivers are being threatened over the Marathi language,” Mehta said.
Mehta also criticised Sarnaik’s political position within the Shiv Sena and alleged that there was a disconnect between the minister’s words and actions.
Congress targets Shiv Sena over Marathi issue
The Congress also joined the political debate, accusing the Shiv Sena of using the Marathi language issue for political purposes without doing enough to promote the language.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe questioned what the Shiv Sena had done for the development of Marathi.
Londhe also pointed to Marathi receiving Classical Language status, arguing that groundwork for the recognition had been laid during Prithviraj Chavan’s tenure.
He accused the BJP and the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde of focusing on language politics while people from outside Maharashtra continue to come to the state for employment.
Marathi language remains a sensitive political issue
The controversy comes against the backdrop of a longstanding debate over the use of Marathi in Maharashtra’s public and official life.
Marathi groups have argued that the state’s regional language should not be ignored in formal and public communication. At the same time, language-related disputes involving people from outside Maharashtra have periodically triggered political and social tensions.
Dutt’s comments, made in a seemingly informal setting, have therefore become part of a wider political argument over Marathi, identity and how the language issue is addressed in the state.