Mumbai, Jun 28 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday stepped up his attack on Maharashtra School Education Minister Dada Bhuse over the “imposition” of Hindi in the state schools as well as delay in Class 11 admission process.
Addressing a press conference here, Thackeray said Bhuse should be divested of his portfolio for creating a “mess”.
He also said his party will continue to protest against the “imposition” of Hindi in Maharashtra and the three-language formula on students of Classes 1 to 5.
More than a month-and-a-half after the Class 10 results, the admission process for Class 11 is yet to commence, the former minister said.
An agency was hired by the state government to have the 25 lakh forms filled, but there were issues in it, he said.
“It is already June end and the academic year for Class 11 is yet to begin,” Thackeray, who represents the Worli assembly constituency in Mumbai, said.
He said if the first list of students for admission for Class 11 is not released, then the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Sena (UBT), will hold state-wide protests and seek Bhuse’s resignation.
“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has an incompetent minister. Will he seek answers from the school education minister for the mess?” he asked.
“Dada Bhuse is responsible for such incompetency,” he said.
Thackeray said if Bhuse cannot be removed due to the coalition compulsions, he should at least be divested of the portfolio.
Attacking the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena for blaming the Uddhav Thackeray government for making Hindi compulsory, Aaditya said when the R A Mashelkar committee submitted a report, the MVA government formed a panel of ministers but never took any decision to make Hindi mandatory.
He said the MVA dispensation never came up with a government resolution (GR) to make Hindi mandatory for the students of Classes 1 to 5.
It was the BJP government that came with this GR, Thackeray said.
The government’s move to introduce Hindi from Class 1 has faced stiff resistance from opposition parties and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
The row erupted after the government last week issued an amended order stating Hindi will “generally” be taught as the third language to students in Marathi and English medium schools from Classes 1 to 5.
According to the order, if 20 students per grade in a school wish to study any other Indian language, they can opt out of Hindi. If such a demand arises, either a teacher will be appointed, or the language will be taught online Estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will take out a joint morcha in Mumbai on July 5 over the issue.
Uddhav Thackeray has asked his party workers to burn copies of the GR on Hindi language, in a state-wide protest on June 29, a day ahead of the monsoon session of the state legislature. PTI PR NP
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