Mumbai, Sep 15: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday defended Union Home Minister Amit Shah amid the controversy surrounding his remarks on the Hindi language, accusing the opposition of selectively interpreting his speech and taking his comments out of context.

The controversy erupted after Amit Shah, speaking at the Rajbhasha Sammelan in Navi Mumbai, described Maharashtra as a leading multilingual state and said there was no reason to oppose learning an additional national language alongside one’s mother tongue. The remarks triggered criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Expressing indirect disapproval, MNS Chief Raj Thackeray posted a cryptic message on social media, stating, “A cow does not die from a crow’s curse. That is all for now.”

Responding to criticism, CM Fadnavis, speaking to reporters, clarified that Shah explicitly emphasized the importance of the mother tongue and highlighted the rightful status of Marathi in Maharashtra. He urged political leaders to avoid taking statements out of context.

On the Mumbai Police denying permission for activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s rally, CM Fadnavis stressed that maintaining law and order remains a priority, particularly during the upcoming festival season.

He noted that fresh applications will be reviewed on merit, adding that the state government has already accepted several of Jarange’s demands while others remain pending before the court.

On reports of a new CBI FIR naming political figures in connection with the Disha Salian case, CM Fadnavis stated he has not yet reviewed the document. He noted that the CBI is acting pursuant to High Court directions and advised against premature speculation while the legal process takes its course.

CM Fadnavis said that the state cabinet on Tuesday approved several key decisions to support sugarcane farmers, strengthen cooperative sugar factories, and improve governance scheme evaluations.

Among the major announcements was the provision of soft loans to cooperative sugar mills, the establishment of the Maharashtra Technical Assistance Cell (‘Maha-Tech’), and a historic decision regarding agricultural land returns in Ahilyanagar district.

To provide financial stability to distressed cooperative sugar factories, the state government approved soft loans. This capital support will help sugar mills clear pending Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) dues owed to farmers for the 2025–26 crushing season and ensure smooth preparations for the upcoming 2026–27 season, said the CM.

The Cabinet approved the creation of the Maharashtra Technical Assistance Cell (‘Maha-Tech’) to evaluate and optimise state government schemes.

Implemented in collaboration with IIM Mumbai and the Center for Planning and Policy Research, the cell will conduct rigorous evaluations of 25 key state policies and 25 major welfare schemes over the next year to enhance decision-making and delivery effectiveness.

In a significant relief for farmers in Haregaon village (Shrirampur taluka, Ahilyanagar district), the Cabinet decided to return lands currently held by the Maharashtra State Farming Corporation to their original owners. Necessary amendments to the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands Act, 1961 were approved to facilitate this transfer.

The cabinet also approved a complete exemption of stamp duty on the lease deed registration for the Nashik branch of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad (located in the Nashik Municipal Corporation building) to establish a study center and library.

The cabinet gave clearance for the free transfer of 6,240.30 sq meters of government land to the Arvi Municipal Council in Wardha district for the construction of a commercial complex.

Further, the cabinet sanctioned amendments to the Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act, 1965.

The cabinet also gave administrative approval and expenditure for creating four new administrative posts for the Chairman’s office of the Mumbai Police Housing Township Project.

Navi Mumbai, Sep 14: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to Indian languages, stating that hearing the Prime Minister speak Hindi on global platforms fills the nation with pride.

He was speaking at the Hindi Diwas celebration and the 6th All India Official Language Conference organised in Navi Mumbai, an event attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Addressing the gathering, CM Fadnavis apologised for his late arrival before highlighting the significance of hosting the national convention in Maharashtra. He noted that while such conferences were once mere formalities, Home Minister Amit Shah spearheaded the effort to rotate them across different states.

Reflecting on language policy history, Fadnavis pointed out that Hindi was widely used for official work during the British era before both Hindi and English were designated as official languages in 1963. He stated that since PM Modi assumed office, mother tongues and official regional languages have received unprecedented respect across the country.

“You must learn your mother tongue, and the New Education Policy (NEP) ensures this by promoting education in local languages alongside additional Indian languages,” CM Fadnavis said.

Recalling history, he noted that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then an opposition leader, was among the first to address the United Nations in Hindi. He added that writer Munshi Premchand played a pivotal role in making conversational Hindi acceptable for official work.

Addressing the conference, Home Minister Amit Shah emphasised the importance of regional languages, asserting that Marathi deserves deep respect. He highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration granted classical language status to Marathi.

HM Shah praised Maharashtra’s diversity, describing it as the most multilingual state in India.

Quoting freedom fighter and social reformer Vinoba Bhave, he noted, “If I had not used Hindi, I could not have reached every village in Kashmir, Assam, and Kerala with the revolutionary message of Bhoodan and Gramdan. It was the official language that enabled me to communicate with people across the nation.”

Reiterating the central government’s focus on language preservation through the New Education Policy, the Home Minister emphasised that foundational learning in one’s mother tongue is essential for a child’s holistic growth.

Describing Maharashtra as the land of Veer Savarkar, he emphasised that Savarkar was not only a freedom fighter and social reformer but also one of the most learned linguists of his time. He built upon Lokmanya Tilak’s call for the purification of the Marathi language and coined numerous words that were previously absent in Indian languages—words that found natural acceptance in Marathi and other national languages.

HM Shah added that the Ministry of Home Affairs honoured Savarkar’s linguistic legacy in Hindi through the ‘Shabd Sindhu’ initiative.

In a major operation, the Mumbai Crime Branch arrested two drug peddlers found selling Nitrazepam tablets. Acting on a tip-off received by Unit 6 on September 9, a Crime Branch team laid a trap and apprehended the two accused near the Trombay Transport Office—located on the southbound service road of the Panvel-Sion Highway in Trombay, Mumbai. Authorities seized 21,000 Nitrazepam tablets—weighing a total of 12.81 kg and valued at ₹64,05,000—which the accused were intending to sell illegally for recreational use. The arrested individuals have prior cases registered against them under the NDPS Act; specifically, a case has been registered against both under Sections 8(c), 22(c), and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985. The arrested men are aged 44 (resident of Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, Mumbai) and 50 (resident of Kausa, Mumbra, Thane district).

This operation was carried out by a team from Unit 6 under the guidance of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Krishnakant Upadhyay, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detection) Datta Nawathe, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (D-East) Dharmapal Bansode. The team comprised Police Inspector Bharat Ghonge (In-charge, Unit 6), Police Inspector Sushant Sawant, Woman Sub-Inspector Chaudhary, Woman Sub-Inspector Mashire, Police Sub-Inspector Desai, Police Havaldars Wankhede, Khedkar, Bhalerao, and Chamgar, Police Constables Panchal, Shaikh, Bodhare, and Sasane, and Woman Police Constable Khotod.