Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray on Saturday urged party workers stop the agitation to enforce use of Marathi in banks and other establishments for the time being as “we have created enough awareness on the issue”.
In a letter to party workers, Raj Thackeray stated that the agitation had effectively highlighted the consequences of not adhering to the Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines on the use of the local language. “There is no issue in halting this agitation now because we have created enough awareness on the issue,” Thackeray said.
“Halt the agitation for the time being but do not let focus go away from it. I urge the government to see that the law is followed. Wherever the law is not followed, wherever Marathi manoos are taken for granted or face insult, the MNS will go for discussion with them,” Thackeray warned.
His instructions to party workers come a day after the United Forum of Bank Unions wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stating that people claiming to be MNS activists have been visiting bank branches and intimidating staff
“Their demand is that all display boards be exclusively in Marathi and that all officials must speak only in Marathi,” the United Forum of Bank Unions letter to Fadnavis said. It added that bank officials have been threatened and assaulted.
Following this, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday warned of strict action against those taking the law into their own hands. Responding to this, Raj Thackeray emphasized that it is the government’s duty to enforce RBI regulations. “We will not allow anyone to take law in their hands but it’s also not our desire to do so. Since you are the protector of the law, should you not implement the RBI rules on this,” Thackeray said.
On Thursday, MNS workers in Thane received an assurance from the manager of a private bank to install Marathi signage at the branch and went on to remove an English board themselves.
At his Gudi Padwa rally on March 30, Raj Thackeray reaffirmed his party’s stand on making Marathi mandatory for official communication. He issued a stern warning, stating that those who deliberately refuse to speak the language will be “slapped”.