New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking the removal of Urdu from a municipal signboard in Maharashtra, asserting that language is a cultural tool, not a religious marker.
Hearing a petition by ex-councillor Sanjay Bagade from Akola’s Patur town, a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and K Vinod Chandran said, “Language belongs to people, not religion. It is a means of communication and a symbol of civilizational progress.”
Urdu, the court noted, is an Indian language born out of cultural exchange and deeply rooted in the country’s Ganga-Jamuni heritage. The bench rejected the idea that Urdu is “foreign” or exclusive to a particular faith, calling such views misguided and divisive.
“If locals understand Urdu, using it alongside Marathi on a signboard is simply good communication—not a provocation,” the court said.
The judges also highlighted how colonial powers fostered a false religious divide between Hindi and Urdu. “Language should unite, not divide,” they concluded, urging Indians to shed prejudice and embrace the nation’s rich linguistic diversity.
