You cannot do language dadagiri: Shobhaa De on Marathi language row

In an exclusive interview with India Today's Rajdeep Sardesai, author and columnist Shobhaa De strongly criticised recent incidents of language imposition in Mumbai, calling it 'dadagiri' and a 'cognizable offence'.

When asked should Marathi be made mandatory for anyone who lives in Mumbai or should Hindi be imposed, Shobhaa De said, "It has been made into a political issue by warring cousins who are on shaky ground. They want to be relevant. They have an important election to fight. Suddenly, they've discovered their love for the language. And forget all that. Maybe they truly do love the language. You cannot indulge in hooliganism in the name of Marathi manoos pride or Marathi language pride. You cannot do language dadagiri. It's just not on."

She emphasised that while learning Marathi should be encouraged, it shouldn't be forced aggressively.