Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik insists that he urged Sanjay Dutt to speak in Marathi during a Dahi Handi celebration organised by the Sanskriti Yuva Pratishthan over the weekend in Thane.
The Bollywood actor did speak in Marathi, the Minister, who belongs to the Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, told NDTV, adding that the actor’s “video was cropped and presented out of context”.
“Prominent figures like Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, and Suryakumar Yadav were present at my Dahi Handi celebration. It is your right to choose which language to speak, but if you are in Maharashtra, you should speak Marathi,” the Minister underscored. “Suniel Shetty delivered a speech in Marathi, and Suryakumar Yadav also spoke in Marathi. During the Saturday event , remarking that he was currently teaching everyone Marathi, the Shiv Sena minister encouraged the veteran actor to address the audience in the state’s official language, noting that while Dutt speaks in Hindi, the audience understands Marathi. However, the video was cropped and presented out of context. Observers spotlighted the stark contrast between the strict linguistic mandates enforced on working-class citizens and the leniency routinely afforded to high-profile public figures.
Sanjay Dutt mentioned that even though he had been in jail, he hadn’t learned Marathi; yet, I still told him that he ought to speak the language,” the Minister said. “Following this, Sanjay Dutt said, ‘ Namaskar mandali, majha sarvanna namaskar (Greetings everyone)’. I will urge everyone who comes to my stage to speak in Marathi,” the Minister said.
