Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has come down heavily on political parties criticising the government’s recent decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language for students from Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools. According to PTI, Pawar accused detractors of creating “unnecessary disputes” in the absence of substantive issues.

Speaking at the inauguration of a national memorial dedicated to the Chapekar Brothers in Pimpri Chinchwad on Friday, Pawar emphasised that Marathi as the mother tongue would always retain its pre-eminent status in the state. “Marathi is our mother tongue and will always have first preference in the state,” he reiterated.