Once bitten, twice shy. Maharashtra home minister RR Patil has learnt it the hard way.
The 51-year old Patil, who resigned from the state cabinet in the wake of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has staged a comeback in the new Congress-NCP government as home minister but would prefer speaking to media in Marathi.
The reason is obvious. Patil quit after facing flak for his remark "bade shahron mein aise ek adh hadse hote rahte hain (in big cities one-two such incidences can occur)."
"In the last 11 months, Patil has brushed up his Hindi. However, he would prefer communicating in Marathi, his mother-tongue," an aide of the senior NCP leader told PTI.
"Patil's not understanding the nuances of Hindi led to his remark being misinterpreted by media," he added.
Patil's comeback to the ministry is being considered as a reward for the extensive campaiging he did for the party, helping it win 62 of the 114 seats it contested. He is one of the most popular leaders in the 10-year-old party founded by Sharad Pawar.
Comments