Amit Shah Begins Three-Day Mumbai Visit With Hindi Conference, Ganesh Darshan on Agenda
Amit Shah is on a three-day Mumbai visit from September 12 to 14, attending the Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan, visiting the Asiatic Society and Lalbaugcha Raja.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to Mumbai from September 12 to 14, with a schedule that includes a Hindi conference, a heritage institution visit and Ganeshotsav darshan.
Shah arrived in the city on Saturday night and was expected to hold a late-night meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders to discuss organisational matters.
Asiatic Society Visit
One of the key engagements on his itinerary is a visit to the Asiatic Society in Fort, an institution with a long record of research and preservation of India's ancient texts and manuscripts. Shah is expected to interact with office-bearers and members and to view an exhibition of rare manuscripts and archival material.
A long-pending demand to grant the Asiatic Society the status of an "institution of national importance" is likely to be raised before the Home Minister. The demand has reportedly been pending with the Centre for four years.
The exhibition will also feature reference material preserved by the Society relating to P V Kane's five-volume work, 'History of Dharmasastra', which is considered significant for research into India's legal and social traditions.
The visit follows a recent change in the Society's leadership. The 'Asiatic Tomorrow' group won its election in July, with former BJP MP Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe elected president. Shah's visit was finalised after an invitation from the new leadership.
Hindi Conference in Vashi
The second major event is the sixth Akhil Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan at the CIDCO Exhibition Centre in Vashi. The two-day conference will be held on September 14 and 15 and will bring together Hindi writers, institutions, government officials and representatives from across the country. Senior ministers and officials from the Centre and Maharashtra are also expected to attend.
The event is being held amid continuing controversies over demands that migrants learn Marathi. Holding a major Hindi conference in Vashi is expected to add a political dimension to the language debate in Maharashtra, where a heated discussion has been under way over making Marathi mandatory for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray has questioned the need for the Hindi event in Mumbai. BJP's Mumbai unit president Amit Satam hit back, accusing Raj Thackeray of hypocrisy over the Marathi language issue and questioning his decision to educate his children in English-medium schools.
Other Engagements
Shah will also attend the India Jewels and Jewellery Awards ceremony at the Bharat Diamond Bourse on September 13.
The Home Minister traditionally visits Mumbai during Ganeshotsav and seeks blessings at Lalbaugcha Raja. This year too, he is scheduled to visit the Ganesh idol on the first day of the festival, September 14.