MUMBAI/PUNE: The Marathi issue has boomeranged on the Maharashtra state Chief Minister Ashok Chavan with the Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray advising Chavan to lead by example.
"You first start communicating with the Congress President Sonia Gandhi in Marathi and then direct foreigners and others to follow suit," Thackeray chastised the chief minister who had raked the language issue with his blundering call to the cab drivers in Mumbai to speak Marathi.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday night on the sidelines of a function on the occasion of the 84th birthday of his father and Sena President Bal Thackeray, Uddhav said, "Chavan after ordering all the cab drivers to speak, read and write in Marathi, is now in the process of accepting the recommendations of the draft cultural policy committee report." He added: "He will now be issuing a directive to all government officials and ministers to communicate in Marathi and converse through translators with foreigners. I would like to tell him that he should set an example by communicating with his party President Sonia Gandhi in Marathi. Let's watch what response he receives from her and then let him celebrate by beating the drums of Marathi.
"The chief minister prior to advising us to communicate in Marathi, should foremost teach Marathi to Sonia."
On the issue of Sena's threat to the Australian cricketers, Uddhav said "There will be no Indian Premier League (IPL3) matches in Maharashtra if any Australian player participates."
"It is wrong on part of us to entertain the Aussies, when Indians in Australia are being attacked and treated badly, Sikh religious temples are targeted and burned down. We are determined to disrupt any IPL3 cricket matches in Maharashtra, and if the Sena chief orders, we will not even allow them to set foot on our soil," Uddhav warned.
Lashing out at IPL commissioner Lalit Modi for his comments that the Sena was only indulging in 'mere threats', Uddhav said that Modi will know the consequences of his comments, whether Sena is capable of mere threats or action.
"The IPL officials should have some shame. They are shameless people. Instead of taking into consideration the frequent attacks on the Indians, these shameless people are inviting the Aussies," he said.
