NEW DELHI, July 25 -- "People who believe in Shivaji cannot be narrow-minded about languages," said Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday while speaking at a function in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) convention centre. Fadnavis was the chief guest at the foundation stone ceremony of the Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Special Centre for Security and Strategic Studies and the inauguration of the Kusumagraj Special Centre for Marathi Language, Literature and Culture. Also present were Maharashtra minister for industries and Marathi language Uday Samant and the current head of the Maratha royal family of Thanjavur Shivaji Rajah Bhonsle Chhatrapati. Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar were, however, missing. "Marathi is an old language and has contributed to enriching the country. It has played a key role in keeping the legacy of theatre and literature in the country alive," said Fadnavis, expressing the hope that like JNU, other universities would also take up the initiative of teaching Marathi. The chief minister added that languages ought not to be "a topic of dispute and discord". "The Marathi language is our pride, as it is our mother tongue," he said. "Likewise, we respect all Indian languages. However, the English language is sometimes given too much significance. That brings me pain." The Kusumagraj Special Centre will focus on the Marathi language, literature and cultural traditions and is named after iconic Marathi poet and playwright V V Shirwadkar, better known by his pen name Kusumagraj. The centre will offer postgraduate and certificate-level programmes to promote multilingualism and cultural understanding. The Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Special Centre for Security and Strategic Studies will explore indigenous strategic traditions based on the Maratha empire. The centre is envisioned to become a hub for military history, strategy and future policy development rooted in India's past. Addressing the audience, Fadnavis said, "The debate is not Marathi versus Hindi or any other language. Just like Tamil is one of the ancient languages in India, so is Marathi. We respect Tamil just as much as Marathi." The remark could have pertained to the Maharashtra government's decision to introduce a three-language formula in primary schools, which was rolled back following protests against the "imposition" of Hindi....