Pune: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said that when various political parties come together and work, they are bound to have differences of opinion. He added that there is a need for a detailed discussion between Mahayuti allies on the subject of making Hindi a compulsory subject for school students from Std I, which he has already cited his opinion against.Pawar was referring to the ongoing controversy over the govt resolution in June on the implementation of the three-language policy. Later on Sunday, amid major backlash, state govt withdrew the GR and said a committee will now be constituted to determine the way forward.Speaking to reporters, Pawar had said Mahayuti govt is trying to ensure that the issue is addressed without any need for protest.“When different political parties come together and work, sometimes there are differences of opinion. But we need to consider what is best for the state, country, and the future of our children. I feel the best decisions are taken only when things are discussed; hence there is a need to discuss this issue,” the deputy CM stated.Earlier, Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) had threatened a protest march in Mumbai against govt’s decision on July 5. They had stated that the march would be held without party flags and would solely focus on opposing the compulsion of Hindi in schools, without raising any other issues.Asked if he too would join the protest march as he shares the same opinion, Pawar said, “We are trying to ensure there is no need for such protests.”Pawar reiterated his stance that Hindi should not be mandatory from Std I. “Students should begin learning Hindi from Std V. Those who can read and write Marathi can easily pick up Hindi because the script for both languages is almost the same. So, there should be no problem even if we start teaching Hindi from Std V,” he said.The deputy CM also said govt has made Marathi compulsory from Std I in schools of all mediums in the state to ensure that everyone — including children of those who have migrated from other states to Maharashtra for work — can learn Marathi.Asked about the possibility of Raj and Uddhav forming an alliance ahead of civic polls in the state, Pawar said it is an internal matter for the two leaders. “They are free to make their own decisions. Nobody should interfere with this,” he added. Pune: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said that when various political parties come together and work, they are bound to have differences of opinion. He added that there is a need for a detailed discussion between Mahayuti allies on the subject of making Hindi a compulsory subject for school students from Std I, which he has already cited his opinion against.Pawar was referring to the ongoing controversy over the govt resolution in June on the implementation of the three-language policy. Later on Sunday, amid major backlash, state govt withdrew the GR and said a committee will now be constituted to determine the way forward.Speaking to reporters, Pawar had said Mahayuti govt is trying to ensure that the issue is addressed without any need for protest.“When different political parties come together and work, sometimes there are differences of opinion. But we need to consider what is best for the state, country, and the future of our children. I feel the best decisions are taken only when things are discussed; hence there is a need to discuss this issue,” the deputy CM stated.Earlier, Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) had threatened a protest march in Mumbai against govt’s decision on July 5. They had stated that the march would be held without party flags and would solely focus on opposing the compulsion of Hindi in schools, without raising any other issues.Asked if he too would join the protest march as he shares the same opinion, Pawar said, “We are trying to ensure there is no need for such protests.”Pawar reiterated his stance that Hindi should not be mandatory from Std I. “Students should begin learning Hindi from Std V. Those who can read and write Marathi can easily pick up Hindi because the script for both languages is almost the same. So, there should be no problem even if we start teaching Hindi from Std V,” he said.The deputy CM also said govt has made Marathi compulsory from Std I in schools of all mediums in the state to ensure that everyone — including children of those who have migrated from other states to Maharashtra for work — can learn Marathi.Asked about the possibility of Raj and Uddhav forming an alliance ahead of civic polls in the state, Pawar said it is an internal matter for the two leaders. “They are free to make their own decisions. Nobody should interfere with this,” he added.
