Maharashtra Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad has asked the Mahayuti government to take decisive measures against a Gujarat-based company’s advertisement that explicitly bars Marathi applicants. The advertisement has ignited a debate over discrimination between Marathi and Gujarati communities.
Threatens stir
In response to the advertisement, posted on LinkedIn last week, Ms. Gaikwad said since the Mahayuti government came to power in Maharashtra, animosity towards the Marathi people has intensified. “So far, the Marathis were denied housing, shops refused to put Marathi signboards, and now companies are daring to refuse jobs to Marathi people in Mumbai itself. The government must take strict action against such companies, otherwise we will take to the streets,” Ms. Gaikwad said during a padayatra in Kurla on Sunday.
The advertisement has since been removed. Brought out by a company named ITCODE Infotech, it sought applications for the position of a graphic designer in their Girgaon office, a predominantly Marathi area of Mumbai. Ms. Gaikwad attributed ITCODE Infotech’s discriminatory stance to the close ties between the ruling BJP-Shinde government and Gujarat.
“Anyone challenging this discrimination and Marathi pride will not be tolerated,” she said.
Ms. Gaikwad also took potshots at the stand taken by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on shifting of some industries to Gujarat.
Published - May 07, 2024 01:16 am IST
