Noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who is among four persons nominated to Rajya Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu, on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him to inform and spoke in Marathi.
"Modi ji speaks excellent Marathi. He begins some of his speeches in Maharashtra in Marathi and then switches to Hindi," Nikam told reporters. “When I received his call at 8.44 p.m. on Saturday and the operator connected me to him, the PM said, ‘Ujjwal ji mi Marathit bolu ka Hindi bolu (should I speak in Marathi or Hindi)’,” Nikam said.
"I told him that he has command over both languages and loves them. He told me that the President wants to hand over some responsibility to me and asked if I would be willing to accept it. And then he continued in Marathi," Nikam added.
Ujjwal Nikam said, "Its a proud moment for me. I never thought or expected to be nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha by the President of India. Yesterday I received a phone call from PM Narendra Modi. He asked me if he should talk in Hindi or in Marathi. Both of us started laughing. He then spoke to me in Marathi and told me that the President wants to give me responsibility, after which he informed me about the President's decision. I immediately said yes... I want to thank the President, the Prime Minister and the party leadership. I assure that I will discharge my duties as a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing the President of India, truly and honestly."
Nikam is among four eminent personalities nominated to the Upper House by President Droupadi Murmu. The nominations come in the wake of vacancies created by the retirement of previously nominated members.
Ujjwal Nikam is best known for handling high-profile criminal cases, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks trial of Ajmal Kasab and the 1993 Bombay blasts case. Along with Nikam, three other distinguished individuals who have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha include - former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who also served as India's Ambassador to the United States and Bangladesh; C Sadanandan Master, a veteran social worker and educationist from Kerala with decades of grassroots service, and Meenakshi Jain, a noted historian and academic recognised for her contributions to the study of Indian history and civilisation.
PM Modi also extended his congratulations to Shringla, Sadanandan Master, and Meenakshi Jain in separate posts on X, acknowledging their significant national contributions. The Ministry of Home Affairs announced their nominations through an official notification.
*With Agency Inputs
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