Narwekars Deendayal Slip Draws Flak

MUMBAI: Rahul Narwekar, speaker of the legislative assembly, emerged red-faced after reading out a condolence message on the death of veteran singer Asha Bhosale on Tuesday. In his speech in Marathi, Narwekar, a BJP MLA, referred to Bhosale’s father as “Deendayal Mangeshkar” instead of “Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar”, seemingly mixing up his name with that of Bharatiya Jana Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray was quick to react on social media: “…the manner in which Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar butchered the Marathi language, and the fact that he could not even properly read Marathi written on paper in front of him, filled me with both anger and anguish. Had he eaten bhel from that very sheet of paper before reading it?’’

Thackeray added, “Narwekar could just as well have presented the resolution in Swahili or Hebrew, because no one could understand his Marathi anyway, and hardly anyone understands Swahili or Hebrew either.”

Narwekar drew flak on social media as the video clip of his speech was circulated online. Noting that none of the MLAs in the house pointed out the slip, Thackeray added in his post, “It appeared that Narwekar knows neither Deenanath Mangeshkar nor Deendayal Upadhyaya. The BJP’s ongoing policy of political recruitment from all quarters has left it in a state akin to losing both oil and ghee and ending up with nothing in hand.”

He said “Marathi people should reflect on the kind of individuals and governments they are electing”.

Narwekar had not commented on the issue till late on Tuesday.