‘Six Years in Yerwada, Still Didn’t Learn Marathi’: Dutt’s Remark Triggers Political Storm
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Sanjay Dutt’s Marathi Joke Sparks Political Row in Maharashtra
A light-hearted remark by Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt at a Dahi Handi event has triggered a political controversy in Maharashtra, putting Shiv Sena leader and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik under scrutiny.
At the event, Sarnaik asked Dutt to speak in Marathi. Dutt responded jokingly that despite spending six years in Yerwada Jail, he had still not learned Marathi. The comment drew laughter, including from Sarnaik, but the reaction soon became a political issue.
The controversy comes amid an ongoing political debate in Maharashtra over the use and promotion of the Marathi language. BJP leaders have questioned why Sarnaik laughed at Dutt’s remark while advocating Marathi proficiency among auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.
The incident has also exposed wider political differences over the Marathi-language issue, with opponents accusing political parties of selectively using language and regional identity for political advantage.
What began as a brief joke on a Dahi Handi stage has therefore evolved into another flashpoint in Maharashtra’s increasingly charged Marathi-language politics.
