"Video Was Cropped": Maharashtra Minister On Sanjay Dutt Marathi Row

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik insists that he urged Sanjay Dutt to speak in Marathi during a Dahi Handi celebration organised by the Sanskriti Yuva Pratishthan over the weekend in Thane. The Bollywood actor did speak in Marathi, the Minister, who belongs to the Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, told NDTV, adding that the actor's "video was cropped and presented out of context".

"Prominent figures like Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, and Suryakumar Yadav were present at my Dahi Handi celebration. It is your right to choose which language to speak, but if you are in Maharashtra, you should speak Marathi," the Minister underscored.

"Suniel Shetty delivered a speech in Marathi, and Suryakumar Yadav also spoke in Marathi. Sanjay Dutt mentioned that even though he had been in jail, he hadn't learned Marathi; yet, I still told him that he ought to speak the language," the Minister said.

During the Saturday event, remarking that he was currently teaching everyone Marathi, the Shiv Sena minister encouraged the veteran actor to address the audience in the state's official language, noting that while Dutt speaks in Hindi, the audience understands Marathi.

Taking the microphone with his signature charm, Dutt delivered a quick-witted retort, telling Sarnaik that despite spending "six years" in Pune's Yerwada Jail, he still couldn't learn Marathi beyond picking up just a little bit of the language.

The 67-year-old actor then embraced Sarnaik, highlighting their 25-year friendship and thanking him for the invitation before concluding his remarks with a brief Marathi greeting wished to the audience.

"Following this, Sanjay Dutt said, 'Namaskar mandali, majha sarvanna namaskar (Greetings everyone)'. However, the video was cropped and presented out of context. I will urge everyone who comes to my stage to speak in Marathi," the Minister said.

Sarnaik's Transport Department mandates that autorickshaw and taxi drivers in Mumbai must possess functional knowledge of Marathi to obtain operating permits.

Observers spotlighted the stark contrast between the strict linguistic mandates enforced on working-class citizens and the leniency routinely afforded to high-profile public figures.

Reacting to the incident, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday criticised Sarnaik, saying the minister should have told Dutt that he was in Maharashtra and should speak Marathi.

Dutt was released from Yerwada Jail on February 25, 2016. He served 42 months in jail as a part of his five-year sentence after being convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case.