On Monday, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar ruled out the possibility of granting official language status to Marathi, saying that the language is being treated on par with Konkani.

Condemning the chief minister for ruling out official language status to Marathi, MRS President G R Dhavlikar said that MRS would raise the issue during the election and teach the BJP or any other party that refuses to grant Marathi official language status.

Addressing a press conference in the town, Dhavilkar claimed that Marathi has contributed a lot for Goans since many centuries. He termed the chief minister’s stand on Marathi as an insult to Assembly where Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal moved resolution seeking official languages status to Marathi.

Dhavilkar said, “Two and half years ago, we were asked by Parsekar to raise public awareness on Marathi, so as to give the language official status. But now he has taken huge U-turn. Not only Parsekar, but even former chief minister Manohar Parrikar has taken a U-turn and cheated to us.”

MRS member Madusudan Desai showed a newspaper cutting of Gomantak (June 12, 2000 edition) wherein Parsekar had announced that he make all effort to get a Bill passed granting official status to Marathi in Assembly.

The press briefing was also attended by Shanudas Sawant, Manguesh Kundaikar, Rajaram Jog and Danjay Kolvekar.