Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray Reunite After Two Decades, Critique Hindi Language Push in Maharashtra

Mumbai, July 5 — In a significant moment for Maharashtra politics, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray shared the stage and a warm embrace at a joint rally in Mumbai, marking their first public appearance together in 20 years.

Speaking at the Worli Dome rally, Raj Thackeray took a veiled swipe at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, crediting him with achieving what even the late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray could not: reuniting the estranged Thackeray cousins.

“I had said in one of my interviews that my Maharashtra is bigger than any politics and fight. Today, after 20 years, Uddhav and I have come together. What Balasaheb could not do, Devendra Fadnavis did… the work of bringing both of us together,” Raj Thackeray told the gathering.

The rally was held following the Maharashtra government’s decision to scrap two Government Resolutions (GRs) that sought to introduce Hindi as a mandatory third language in schools.

Questioning the rationale for enforcing Hindi as a compulsory subject in Maharashtra, Raj Thackeray said, “All Hindi-speaking states are behind us, and we are ahead of all Hindi-speaking states; still, we are being forced to learn Hindi. Why? I don’t have anything against Hindi. No language is bad. But we, Marathi people, ruled over many states during the Maratha Empire, yet we never enforced Marathi there.”

Raj Thackeray went on to challenge critics questioning his pride in Marathi, citing his own educational background and that of his family. “They say that our children have learnt in English medium schools. So what? Dada Bhuse studied in Marathi schools and became a minister. Devendra Fadnavis studied in an English-medium school and became the Maharashtra CM. So what? My father, Shrikant Thackeray, and uncle, Balasaheb Thackeray, studied in an English medium school. Can anyone raise a question about their love for Marathi?” he asserted.

While Raj Thackeray underlined that people living in Maharashtra, including Gujaratis and others, should know Marathi, he cautioned against violent tactics. “There’s no need to beat people if they don’t speak Marathi. But if someone indulges in useless drama, hit below their eardrums,” he said, adding, “If you beat someone, don’t make a video of the incident. Let the person beaten up tell that he has been beaten up.”

Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut hailed the reunion as historic, saying, “It is like a festival for all of us in Maharashtra that two prominent leaders of the Thackeray family, who separated due to their political ideologies, are finally coming together to share a stage after 20 years. By coming together today, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will give direction to the Marathi Manush.”

The joint appearance of the Thackeray cousins has reignited speculation about potential political realignments in Maharashtra as the state gears up for future elections.

Recently, the Maharashtra government rescinded its April 16 orders mandating Hindi as a third language in English and Marathi medium schools for Classes 1 to 5, following criticism from regional parties and cultural groups concerned about linguistic imposition.