Shiv Sena: Estranged cousins Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray shared a public platform for the first time in nearly two decades to celebrate the Maharashtra government’s decision to roll back the controversial three-language formula in primary schools. The two leaders jointly hosted a “mega victory gathering” on Saturday (5 July) at the NSCI Dome in Worli, Mumbai, hailing it as a triumph for the Marathi language and cultural identity.

The event, titled ‘Awaj Marathicha’ (Voice of the Marathi), was held at the NSCI Dome in Worli to celebrate the Maharashtra government’s rollback of two government resolutions (GRs) that had mandated the introduction of Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in state-run schools.

Addressing the rally, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said, “I had mentioned in one of my interviews that my Maharashtra is greater than any politics or feud. Today, after 20 years, Uddhav and I have come together. What Balasaheb could not achieve, Devendra Fadnavis has managed, he has brought us together.”

Raj lauded the “unity of the Marathi people” which, he said, compelled the Mahayuti government to retract its proposal. The policy would have introduced a compulsory third language in primary education, widely viewed as a move that could undermine the prominence of Marathi in the state curriculum.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray delivered a fiery speech, questioning why Hindi was being forced upon Maharashtra. “We are ahead of all Hindi-speaking states—why should we be made to learn Hindi? Did we ever impose Marathi when the Marathas ruled half of India?” he asked.

He made it clear that the issue wasn’t about hatred for Hindi but about cultural imposition. “I can learn any language, even Hebrew. But my pride in Marathi is non-negotiable,” he said.

Addressing the recent incident where traders were slapped by a Shiv Sena leader’s aide for not speaking in Marathi, Raj Thackeray says, “Be it Gujarati or anyone else here, must know Marathi, but there is no need to beat people for that if they don’t speak Marathi. But if someone shows useless drama, you must hit below their eardrums. I tell you one more thing: if you beat someone, don’t make a video of the incident. Let the person beaten up tell that he has been beaten up, you don’t need to tell everyone that you have beaten someone.”

The rally drew a diverse audience, including writers, artists, educators, and cultural enthusiasts committed to promoting and preserving Marathi heritage. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey stated, “This is not about politics but about the honour of Maharashtra. The BJP wants to suppress our identity while chanting ‘Jai Gujarat’. But Maharashtra will always come first.”

‘We will capture power in Mumbai and Maharashtra’

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray declared, “We have come together to stay together. This is just the beginning. We will go on to capture power in Mumbai and Maharashtra.” His comments fuelled speculation about a broader political realignment between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Uddhav also issued a stern warning to the state and central governments: “We won’t let them impose Hindi on us. We won’t let them separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.”

Warning to BJP-led Centre

Raj also warned the Centre against underestimating Marathi identity, alleging that the language policy was a testing ground to eventually isolate Mumbai from Maharashtra. “They wanted to see if we’d protest. We did,” he said.