Wrong to consider Hindi national language: Raj Thackeray

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday said that Hindi is a beautiful dialect but it is wrong to consider it a national language.

Addressing the North Indian community at an event organised by a Uttar Bhartiya Mahapanchayat in Mumbai's Kandivali in Hindi language, Thackeray said, "Hindi is undoubtedly a beautiful language but it's wrong that it's the national language. Never ever was a decision made upon on national language. Like there is a Hindi language, there is Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, all of these are also the languages of this nation."

During the address, Thackeray also said youth from Maharashtra should be given priority if there are any job opportunities in the state. "If there are job opportunities in Maharashtra, is it wrong that youth of Maharashtra be given first priority? If an industry is set up in Uttar Pradesh tomorrow, then youth there should be given first preference, the same should happen in Bihar, what is wrong in it?," he added.

Further substantiating his stance, he asserted, "People from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar come to Maharashtra. Then people who are thrown out of their states also come to Maharashtra, is this state any less burdened? Whenever there are jobs available in Maharashtra its advertisement reaches Uttar Pradesh but is not advertised locally.