Oppn targets Maha govt over dropping of Marathi song stanza played in assembly

A day after the goof-up in translation during Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao's address to Maharashtra Legislature, the Lower House today witnessed a similar glitch as the last stanza of 'Marathi Abhimaan Geet' wasn't played, evoking opposition's ire.
Maharashtra Government celebrates 'Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din' on February 27 every year, to commemorate the birth anniversary of late poet V V Shirwadkar, also known as Kusumagraj.
The song was played in the Assembly today as part of the 'Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din' celebrations.
After a technical glitch led to the pre-recorded song's last stanza not being played, a performer present at the venue rushed to the microphone and completed the song.

The glitch in playing the last stanza, about 'Marathi enduring guests and being tormented in its own home' ,was raised by the opposition, which blamed the BJP-led government in Maharashtra for alleged negligence.
"There are seven stanzas in the song but only the first six were performed. Who gave you the permission to omit the last stanza and under what authority?" Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, leader of opposition in the Assembly, said.

"This is sheer negligence and callous approach of the state government to Marathi language. The state had already shown its lack of seriousness in translation of the Governor's speech yesterday and today it insulted the Marathi people again," the Congress leader told reporters.

Vinod Tawde, Minister for Education and Marathi language conservation, said, "Poet Suresh Bhat wrote the song when there was a movement going on for formation of states based on language. Bhat added a stanza almost after 20 years but maintained that the original song be used as Marathi Abhimaan Geet. So there is no question of deliberately omitting a particular stanza."
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena, BJP's ruling alliance partner, blamed the government for not inviting its leader of the House while offering garland to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Vidhan Bhawan.
Diwakar Raote, senior Shiv Sena leader and minister of transport said, "Eknath Shinde is our leader of the House. He should have been invited for offering a garland to the statue. Everyone was there including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and leaders of opposition and presiding officers of the both the Houses, then why not Shinde."

A senior bureaucrat from the parliamentary affairs department said there were no lapses in following the protocol for the event.