A Mumbai-based Marathi organisation has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking senior IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe's appointment as Maharashtra Chief Minister. The group also raised concerns over alleged injustice to Marathi-speaking residents and the growing influence of outsiders in the state.
The organisation, ‘Amhi Girgaonkar', said Maharashtra needs a firm and politically independent administrator like Mundhe to protect the interests of Marathi people and take decisions without political pressure. It also praised his recent work as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), particularly his strict action against food adulteration.
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The group alleged that Marathi residents face discrimination in housing, jobs and access to local resources. It claimed some builders refuse to sell flats to Marathi buyers and called for laws to ensure locals get greater access to housing in new project, in a letter to the Home Minister.
It also alleged that reserved playgrounds, land and other key properties in Mumbai are increasingly being taken over by wealthy outsiders. The group said a strict administrator like Mundhe could help protect these public assets.
The group criticised the reported rollback of a proposal to make Marathi mandatory for drivers from outside Maharashtra working in the auto and taxi sector. It also questioned government initiatives for communities from other states, alleging that housing and facilities were being provided for outsiders while police personnel, municipal workers, mill workers and firefighters remained without adequate housing support.
The letter further claimed that Maharashtra's political administration is increasingly influenced by leaders and interests linked to other states and alleged attempts to dilute the state's Marathi cultural identity.
‘Amhi Girgaonkar' also expressed support for Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, saying Marathi interests would continue to be defended. It warned that ignoring the concerns raised in the letter could trigger a movement more intense than the historic Samyukta Maharashtra movement.
The organisation is active in Girgaon, a historic centre of Marathi culture, and has campaigned for local rights, employment and preservation of the Marathi language.
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