Palturam: Fadnavis jabs Uddhav for 'credit war' over scrapped language policy

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stirred a political storm by labelling Uddhav Thackeray a “Palturam” (flip-flopper) amid a heated dispute over the state’s third language policy.

Fadnavis alleged that the decision to adopt Hindi as part of the three-language formula stemmed from a committee formed during Thackeray’s tenure as Chief Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

He outlined a timeline, stating that on September 21, 2020, Thackeray initiated the formation of an expert committee, followed by a government resolution (GR) on October 16, 2020, establishing a task force led by Raghunath Mashelkar.

"The committee submitted a 101-page report to Thackeray on September 14, 2021 recommending that English and Hindi be mandatory second languages from Class 1 to 12, and potentially in college degree programs, to prepare students for technical and professional courses while prioritising Marathi in higher education," said Fadnavis.

Fadnavis also noted that Thackeray had directed immediate implementation of the report, with Sanjay Raut present at the time.

The Maharashtra government on Sunday announced the cancellation of two GRs dated April 16, 2025, and June 17, 2025, related to the third language policy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while making the announcement, said that a new committee will be formed under senior educationist Narendra Jadhav to reassess the policy.

Defending his government’s stance, Fadnavis stated, “Our government will not bow down; we make decisions in the people’s interest. We cancelled the Hindi language decision based on public demand. If someone claims this as their victory, let them celebrate—these small wins don’t secure elections.”

He further criticised Thackeray for backtracking, saying, “Uddhav Thackeray accepted the Hindi language proposal as CM but has now flipped. We are not against Hindi or any language.”

Commenting on the potential alliance between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, he quipped, “If the Thackeray brothers come together, eat together, swim together, we have no issue with it.”

Uddhav Thackeray, however, hit back, praising political parties that united despite differing views and claimed that the cancellation of the GRs averted a massive protest planned for July 5, which could have seen leaders from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP joining his cause.

He questioned the appointment of financial experts like Dr Narendra Jadhav to decide on educational matters, urging the government to take the new committee seriously. Thackeray announced a victory rally on July 5, declaring, “We have punched Marathi haters, and this unity must persist.”

The controversy intensified as Marathi Language Minister Uday Samant from Shinde’s Shiv Sena accused the Thackeray faction of engaging in a credit war over the language issue. Meanwhile, Sunil Prabhu, an MLA and Uddhav Sena group leader, countered that he was present as Higher and Technical Education Minister when the committee’s report was accepted during the MVA regime.

He clarified that while the report was accepted, no final decision was implemented as the BJP toppled the MVA government, thus deflecting blame for the policy’s progression. The ongoing political sparring underscores the deep divisions over language policy in Maharashtra, with each side claiming credit for protecting regional interests.

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