The Goa Assembly saw tense moments during Zero Hour on Thursday when Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar raised the issue of what he termed as continued injustice towards the Marathi language. He urged the House to officially declare Marathi as the state's second official language.
Arolkar’s intervention drew objections from Opposition members, who argued that the matter was not suitable for discussion during Zero Hour. Responding to the disruption, the Speaker initially asked Arolkar to refrain from speaking and take his seat.
However, Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stepped in, asserting that the MLA had the right to raise the matter during Zero Hour. Following their support, Arolkar was allowed to continue.
Reasserting his demand, Arolkar called for formal recognition of Marathi, arguing that the language holds deep cultural and historical significance for Goa. The incident brought renewed focus to the state’s sensitive language politics and triggered a wider debate among legislators over official language policy.