Marathi teachers should poach students from English schools like BJP poaches leaders: Shiv Sena Minister Gulabrao Patil

Maharashtra Minister Gulabrao Patil, a leader of the Shiv Sena party, recently made controversial remarks suggesting that Marathi teachers should recruit students from English-medium schools to bolster their enrollment. Just as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is known for moving its members from one party to another, Patil argued that teachers should "poach" children from English-medium institutions and transfer them to Marathi-medium schools.

This comment was made during a Teacher's Day event in Jalgaon, where Patil emphasized the importance of increasing student strength in government-run Marathi-medium schools. He pointed out that parents are increasingly opting for English-medium education for their children, as English is seen as crucial for their future.

Patil's remarks drew criticism from the BJP, which called them inappropriate. BJP spokesperson Ram Kulkarni stated that the BJP never poaches workers and that people join the party voluntarily after placing their trust in its leadership and ideology. Teachers are not expected to "poach" students, but rather to instill values in them to create responsible citizens.

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut dismissed Patil's comments, suggesting that when power shifts, Patil would be the first to switch parties. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Supriya Sule urged Chief Minister to rein in his MLAs and ministers, stating that such political remarks have no place in a platform meant for teachers.