India, June 19 -- Opposition parties on Wednesday slammed the Maharashtra government for its new order making Hindi the default, although not compulsory, third language in state board schools, saying it was an indirect attempt at "Hindi imposition" in the state.

While chief minister Devendra Fadnavis stressed that Hindi was not being made compulsory and was only optional, opposition leaders accused the Mahayuti government of "stabbing Maharashtra and the Marathi language in the heart".

According to the new government resolution issued by the state school education department, Hindi will no longer be compulsory, but it will "in general" be the third language for Classes 1-5 in Marathi- and English-medium schools. Schools or parents may c...