Acting on the diktats of their party chief Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists visited branches of the State Bank of India and petitioned them to undertake their banking activity in Marathi.
On the occasion of the anniversary of party’s foundation day on March 9,
Thackeray had exhorted his cadres to oppose the bank’s attempt to propagate Hindi. “You visit these branches and get your transactions conducted in Marathi,” Thackeray said to his cadres.
On Thursday, activists led by MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande visited the Dadar branch and presented them a mock cheque. In the amount section it was written that all transactions henceforth should take place in Marathi.
It was signed by local legislator Nitin Sardesai and Deshpande. Talking to Hindustan Times, Deshpande called it an attempt to popularise Marathi. “SBI does its transactions in Hindi and English and we want them to include Marathi,” said Deshpande. “Being the state language, it should get priority,” he added.
In the last few years, Marathi language seems be the core of the MNS campaign and the Marathi Language Day on February 27 was celebrated with gusto by its cadres.