Mumbai/Palghar, Jan 20 (PTI) A notification in Gujarati by the district administration in Maharashtra’s Palghar has triggered a row, with the Congress claiming the language will soon be imposed in the state and Shiv Sena (UBT) dubbing it a serious issue.
The Palghar collector issued the order in view of a morcha organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the district on January 19 and 20, during which vehicular movement on parts of the highway was prohibited as a precautionary measure.
The Palghar Police clarified on Tuesday night that no separate traffic control notice in Gujarati was published by the local police, stating that the Valsad Police in Gujarat translated the original Marathi notification.
Accordingly, banners were installed along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Valsad district, and one such banner was also put up at Achchad on the Maharashtra-Gujarat border by the Valsad Police.
Officials clarified that there was no intention whatsoever to undermine or disrespect Marathi, as the original notification prohibiting vehicular movement on the highway was issued in the language.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar criticised the state government over the Gujarati notification.
“This is just the beginning. Gujarati is being imposed starting from Palghar. If the BJP gets the Mumbai mayor’s post, it will be clear on whose instructions the city will run,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded a clarification from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the issue.
“All parties have to think seriously about it. Is Palghar a part of Maharashtra or has it been attached to the neighbouring state under the pretext of the bullet train or Vadhvan port?” he said.
Talking to reporters in Bhandara, senior leader Nana Patole alleged that a conspiracy is being hatched to make Mumbai a union territory.
Senior officials from the Palghar district collectorate, however, dismissed the allegations.
“There is no room for confusion or any insult to Marathi. The original order prohibiting vehicular movement on the highway was issued in Marathi,” a senior district official said.
A large number of motorists travelling on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway pass through Gujarat, so it was necessary that they too were made aware of the traffic restrictions, he said.
“For the convenience of motorists coming from Gujarat, the order was translated into Gujarati by authorities on the Gujarat side and displayed in the border villages. This appears to have led to the misunderstanding,” the official said.
Palghar district rural police stated that a notification was issued in the Marathi language by the district collector’s office on January 16, ordering the closure of entry for all light and heavy vehicles coming from the Gujarat side towards Palghar, Ghodbunder, Thane, Mumbai, and Navi Mumbai to ensure smooth conduct of the march.
Police forwarded a copy of the Marathi notification to their counterparts in Valsad so that drivers entering Maharashtra from Gujarat could be adequately informed.
Based on the Marathi notification, the Valsad Police translated and publicised the traffic control information in Gujarati through banners, posters and social media creatives, according to Palghar Police. PTI MR PR COR ARU NSK
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