After Sanjay Dutt's Marathi Quip, Former Prisons Chief Recalls His Jail Days
Actor Sanjay Dutt publicly mocked a Marathi language mandate proposed by Maharashtra minister Pratap Sarnaik during a Dahi Handi event. Former prison official Swati Sathe responded by recalling Dutt's behavior during his incarceration, characterizing it as defiant.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the intersection of celebrity culture, regional linguistic politics, and public discourse in Maharashtra.
In an awkward moment for Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, actor Sanjay Dutt publicly mocked the former's Marathi diktat while standing beside him on a stage during Dahi Handi celebrations in Thane.Dutt said that despite being in jail for six years in Pune's Yerwada jail, he couldn't learn Marathi.Sarnaik had given a deadline for taxi drivers to learn Marathi by August 15. Their permits would be suspended if they don't, he added.Considering the sentiments of the Hindi-speaking population in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis deferred the diktat by a year, causing embarrassment to Sarnaik and his leader Eknath Shinde, who is also Deputy Chief Minister.Dutt's public taunting added insult to injury.Sanjay Dutt was sentenced to six years of imprisonment by Mumbai's special TADA court for illegally possessing an AK-47 rifle, which was part of the consignment sent by Dawood Ibrahim's gang in Mumbai.He was convicted only under the Arms Act.…
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