Marathi Names for Penguin Chicks Born at Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo, Demands BJP

Mumbai, June 2: The son or daughter-of-the-soil politics in Mumbai, so far restricted to humans, has taken an interesting turn with BJP leaders demanding that Penguin chicks born in a city zoo be given Marathi names, arguing that the flightless birds are domicile of Maharashtra by birth.

While a protest by BJP workers appeared to be about identity politics ahead of elections to the Mumbai civic body, it highlighted the classical language status of the Marathi language to justify naming Penguin chicks. BJP leader from the Byculla Assembly constituency Nitin Bankar led the demonstration. Maharashtra IPS Reshuffle: 13 DCP Rank Officers Transferred, Check Names of Officials and New Postings Here.

"When Penguins were brought from abroad to the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo (commonly known as Rani Baug), we accepted that their names would be in English. However, chicks born here, on the soil of Maharashtra, should be given Marathi names," he said. Ghatkopar Suicide Case: ‘Depressed’ Man Jumps to Death From 3rd Floor of R City Mall in Mumbai.

Bankar claimed that repeated appeals to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had gone unheard. "We stood firm on our demand, but it was ignored. I had even written to the BMC administration, but no one responded," he claimed. Bankar said if Marathi has received classical language status, why can't some of the penguin chicks be given Marathi names?

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)