Hindi Vs Marathi row: NEP is a political weapon of the BJP - Deepak Pawar

The Devendra Fadnavis led Maharashtra government sparked controversy by issuing a Government Resolution under NEP 2020, making Hindi a compulsory third language for Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools. Facing backlash from teachers’ unions and parties like Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and NCP (Sharad Pawar), the government withdrew the order on June 29, 2025, and set up a review committee led by economist Narendra Jadhav. In these instances, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray came together on July 5, after two decades for the “Awaj Marathicha” rally, calling the rollback a win but warning of ongoing threats to Maharashtra’s autonomy. In this video, TNM’s Senior News Editor Shabbir Ahmed speaks to Deepak Pawar, president of Marathi Abhyas Kendra, to unpack the deeper implications that the government move was just an educational reform, or a step toward centralising language policy.