After MK Stalin's reaction to Thackeray brothers' reunion, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP clarifies party's stand on Hindi
MK Stalin, reacting to the cousins' joint appearance on Saturday, had said that the fight against Hindi imposition has now crossed state boundaries, signalling growing nationwide resistance.
However, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut appeared to downplay Stalin's support and clarified that his party has not stopped anyone from speaking in Hindi.
Also Read: MK Stalin reacts to reunion of Thackeray cousins: 'Upsurge against Hindi very….'
"The Southern states have been fighting for this issue for years. Their stand against the imposition of Hindi means they will not speak Hindi and neither let anyone speak Hindi. But that is not our stand in Maharashtra. We speak Hindi... Our stand is that the strictness for Hindi in primary schools will not be tolerated. Our fight is limited to this...," Sanjay Raut told reporters, according to news agency ANI.
The two Thackeray cousins shared a political stage for the first time in two decades, with Uddhav also hinting that there could be a political alliance between the Sena (UBT) and MNS.
Raut said that the party's fight is against the imposition of Hindi in primary schools and not against the Hindi language.
"MK Stalin has congratulated us on this win of ours and said that he will learn from this. We wish him the best. But we haven't stopped anyone from speaking in Hindi because we have Hindi movies, Hindi theatre, and Hindi music here... Our fight is only against the imposition of Hindi in primary education," he said.
The remark from the Sena MP came after Stalin, while congratulating the Thackeray brothers, said that they can fight the Centre and 'overthrow the imposition of Hindi".
Also Read: Hindi 'imposition' row explained: What led to Thackeray cousins reuniting after 20 years?
In a post on X on Saturday, Stalin said the language rights struggle, waged by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, "is swirling like a storm of protest in Maharashtra."
"The language rights struggle, waged generation after generation by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the people of Tamil Nadu to defeat Hindi imposition, has now transcended state boundaries and is swirling like a storm of protest in Maharashtra," CM Stalin said in a post in Tamil.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray had held a joint victory rally over the Maharashtra government's withdrawal of two Government Resolutions implementing the three-language policy. The order, regarding the implementation of the three-language formula in state schools, had triggered widespread protests from Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction).
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