Nagpur: Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Monday asserted that the state govt’s decision to impose Hindi in schools, which has since been reversed, was a “dry run” to evaluate public acceptance of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh‘s (RSS) broader ideological objectives. He accused the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti of promoting a “Hindi-Hindu-Hindutva Rashtra” narrative.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected Sapkal’s allegations and questioned his understanding of ground realities. “Naya hai woh (he’s new),” Fadnavis said while speaking to media in Mumbai.Addressing the media in Delhi, Sapkal claimed the rollback of the contentious govt resolutions (GRs) enforcing Hindi as 3rd language was orchestrated by the RSS rather than state officials. “Even the two deputy chief ministers — Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar — were unaware of the decision,” he claimed. He suggested that the move aimed to divert attention from key issues ahead of the monsoon session of Maharashtra legislature.Sapkal described the initial imposition of Hindi as a calculated political strategy. “It was not a mistake. It was a trial balloon floated to test resistance. Maharashtra stood firm, and that’s why they were forced to backtrack,” he said. The decision elicited strong backlash from Marathi authors, cultural organisations, and opposition parties, who accused the govt of undermining the state’s linguistic identity.“Marathi is not just a language — it is our identity, our culture, our way of life,” Sapkal remarked. “The BJP and RSS want to erase India’s diversity and replace it with one religion, one language, one leader. They’ve never accepted the Constitution, and resisting its very drafting was one motive behind Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.”The Congress leader also accused the BJP of communalizing nationalism. “They label only those who speak Hindi and chant ‘Namaste Sada Vatsale’ (RSS prayer) as true Hindus. Where Hindi is spoken, they see fertile ground. Where regional languages dominate, their politics fails,” he added.“Congress is completely disconnected from people’s expectations. Its leadership no longer understands ground realities,” Fadnavis said, and added the Hindi policy was implemented with students’ interests in mind, not as a political strategy. “We are not working for any party. The well-being of Maharashtra’s students is our priority,” he said.Fadnavis also criticised the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt, questioning why Shiv Sena (UBT) introduced compulsory Hindi from Class 1 to 12 during its tenure. “Raj Thackeray should ask his cousin Uddhav Thackeray about that decision,” he concluded.
