Marathi teachers should poach students from English schools like BJP poaches leaders: Shiv Sena Minister Gulabrao Patil

The Minister also outlined a dress code for teachers. "Just as parents have changed, teachers must adapt too. As I mention in every speech, every teacher in a school must follow a dress code.

Maharashtra Minister Gulabrao Patil urges Marathi-medium teachers to 'poach' students from English schools to boost enrollments. (File)Maharashtra Minister Gulabrao Patil urges Marathi-medium teachers to 'poach' students from English schools to boost enrollments. (X/ Gulabrao Patil)

Maharashtra Minister and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Gulabrao Patil on Saturday said Marathi teachers should poach students from English-medium schools to increase their strength. The BJP on Sunday described his comment as inappropriate.

“Just as the BJP poaches our people — moving them from one party to another — teachers should also poach children from English-medium schools and bring them into Marathi schools,” the Minister said at a Teacher’s Day event in Jalgaon, while urging Marathi medium teachers to boost their enrollment.

Pointing out that the primary challenge facing teachers today was maintaining and increasing student strength in government-run Marathi-medium schools, the Minister said, “Times have changed, and parents are increasingly leaning toward English-medium schools. Every parent wants their child to learn English, and fathers today are willing to do whatever it takes to educate their child… I have heard that enrollment in Marathi-medium schools in Jalgaon is going up. Just as the BJP poaches our leaders from one party to another, teachers should poach children from English-medium schools and bring them to Marathi-medium ones… The BJP takes anyone in its fold.”

Highlighting the role of family planning, the Minister said, “Maintaining student strength is a major challenge, and family planning plays a big role in this. Earlier, families had three or four brothers, so enrollment remained high. Now it’s ‘We two, our two… and send them to English medium.’ That has become the trend.”

The Minister also outlined a dress code for teachers. “Just as parents have changed, teachers must adapt too. As I mention in every speech, every teacher in a school must follow a dress code. Wear jeans or t-shirts outside, but inside the school, there must be a dress code so anyone can instantly recognise you as a teacher.”

Describing the Minister’s comment as inappropriate, BJP state spokesperson Ram Kulkarni said, “The BJP never poaches workers. We win people’s hearts through our work and workers join us voluntarily after placing their faith in our leadership and ideology. Teachers do not ‘poach’ students; they instill values in them to build good citizens. Making political remarks from a platform meant for teachers is inappropriate.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “There is no need to take Gulabrao Patil’s comments seriously. When power changes hands, Patil will be the first person to change party.”

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NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said, “The Chief Minister should rein in his MLAs and Ministers… We don’t play such type of politics…”

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More


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