Navi Mumbai: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has issued a strong warning to banks in Juinagar, demanding the use of Marathi in all banking transactions and documents.

The move comes after MNS chief Raj Thackeray's speech at the Gudi Padwa gathering at Shivtirtha, where he criticized banks for sidelining Marathi despite clear instructions from the RBI.

He emphasised that Marathi is the official language of Maharashtra and should be prioritized in bank transactions, documents, applications, account books, notice boards, advertisements, cheques, and mobile messages.

MNS city president and spokesperson Gajanan Kale led a delegation to various government and private banks, urging them to comply with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) circular that mandates the use of Marathi in banking operations.

MNS representatives visited State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank to inspect the use of Marathi in banking services. They found that while ICICI Bank had incorporated Marathi to some extent, government banks like SBI and Bank of Baroda had completely ignored the RBI circular. Expressing disappointment, MNS warned these banks to take immediate action or face intensified agitation.

The party has given banks a seven-day deadline to implement Marathi in all their operations. If no changes are observed within this period, MNS has vowed to launch a strong protest.