Overview

• Athawale declared that anyone harassing non-Marathi speakers will face punishment under the Devendra Fadnavis administration
• He confirmed police have intervened in recent vigilante attacks and promised further enforcement against language-based intimidation
• The minister accused Uddhav and Raj Thackeray of betraying Balasaheb Thackeray’s founding principle of inclusive justice
• Athawale highlighted that about 60% of Mumbai’s residents are from outside Maharashtra and stressed their economic contributions to the city’s growth
• He upheld Hindi as India’s national language and cautioned against politicizing language education while affirming Marathi promotion must remain non-coercive