Porvorim: The Marathi Bhasha Nirdhar Samiti blocked the old Mandovi bridge on Monday to demand official language status for Marathi before the elections.A delegation of protesters led by Subhash Velingkar met chief Minister Pramod Sawant and pressed for official language status for Marathi in Goa. The protesters dispersed after Sawant assured the protesters that he will consider the demand.“We have placed our request before him. He had some doubts which he has clarified with us. We have told him that if Marathi is not granted status as the state language before the elections, then we will have to take a different stand,” said Velingkar.He said that this agitation has been going on for 40 years but BJP govt appeared scared to accord respect to Marathi.“The morcha is to show our strength, which we had not shown earlier and this was a sort of pressure on govt and if it has not fallen now, then it will come during the elections,” said Velingkar.Sources said Sawant asked the protesters how granting official status would benefit the state and the people.
