News Desk – Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the next Mumbai mayor will be a Marathi Hindu, as he criticised the opposition for not reacting to a controversial remark by AIMIM leader Waris Pathan.
Speaking at the Aaj Tak Mumbai Manthan event on Thursday, Fadnavis said the BJP believes in a “nation first” ideology and does not divide people on the basis of Marathi and non-Marathi.
When asked if the mayor’s post in Mumbai is reserved for Marathi Hindus, Fadnavis replied, “Yes, of course.” He explained his stand by saying that just like people expect a Tamil mayor in Chennai, Mumbai should have a Marathi mayor.
His statement comes just days before the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, which will be held on January 15.
The debate over Marathi versus non-Marathi has started again after BJP leader Kripashankar Singh said efforts should be made to elect a north Indian and Hindi-speaking mayor in the Mira Bhayandar municipal corporation. This was strongly criticised by Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS.
Defending Kripashankar Singh, Fadnavis said North Indians are not outsiders. However, he questioned why the opposition stayed silent when Waris Pathan said that a “burqa-clad Muslim” could become Mumbai mayor.
“After that remark, there was silence. That is why we said the mayor here will be Hindu and Marathi,” Fadnavis said.
The Chief Minister also expressed confidence that the BJP will win the BMC and other civic elections. He said the party gets votes from both Marathi and non-Marathi communities.
“Even if both brothers come together, our vote share will not go down,” he said, referring to Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray.
With elections close, political tensions in Mumbai are clearly rising.
