MK Stalin reacts to reunion of Thackeray cousins: ‘Upsurge against Hindi very….'
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Saturday welcomed the reunion of the Thackeray cousins in Mumbai and said the war against the imposition of Hindi being waged by the DMK and people of Tamil Nadu has transcended borders and is now raging like a whirlwind in Maharashtra.
Stalin also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party, stating that the party, which was acting "illegally and anarchically" by saying it would allocate funds only if Hindi was taught as a third language in Tamil Nadu schools, has retreated for the second time, fearing a popular uprising in Maharashtra where it is in power.
"The upsurge and speeches of the victory celebration rally held in Mumbai today under the leadership of brother Uddhav Thackeray against the imposition of Hindi are very encouraging," Stalin said in a post on X.
Stalin wrote that he hoped that the 'uprising' in Maharashtra would open the eyes of those who were 'parroting' the words that one would get a job if one studied Hindi.
Thackeray cousins join hands
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and cousin and MNS head Raj Thackeray shared a political stage for the first time after two decades on the issue of Marathi identity and "imposition" of the Hindi language earlier today.
The two leaders vowed to unite for the Marathi language and Marathi Manoos in the wake of the state government's move to introduce Hindi in primary schools.
'We have come together on the issue of Marathi and let me assure the Marathi people gathered here that we will stay together in future too,' Uddhav Thackeray said.
Also Read | From 'jihadi gathering' to 'no real brotherhood': BJP on Uddhav-Raj Thackeray reunion
MNS chief Raj Thackeray said the three-language formula imposed by the state government was a 'precursor to its plan to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra'.
. 'They imposed Hindi to test the waters. They imposed it without holding deliberation with stakeholders and experts. You have power in the legislature but we have power on the streets,' he said.
Raj further asked if Hindi is so powerful, then why the Hindi speaking states are backward compared to other states. 'Why didn't Hindi help them to progress?'
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Indian Express
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Why Raj and Uddhav Thackeray united after 20 years, on a Mumbai-Marathi platform
The three-language formula under the 2020 National Education Policy has become a potent political issue in Maharashtra, resulting in a rare reunion of cousins and political rivals Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray. On Saturday (July 5), the leaders came together for the first time in 20 years for a 'victory rally' in Mumbai, after the Maharashtra government withdrew government resolutions dated April 16 and June 17. Making Hindi mandatory in state schools from Class one, the orders were based on the NEP's recommendation of students learning at least two native languages. Uddhav, leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and Raj, of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, emphasised 'Marathi Asmita' or Marathi pride and questioned the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government. A central theme of the rally was the BJP allegedly undermining the Maharashtrian identity, be it through language or taking lucrative projects away from Mumbai to other states. Such ideas and rhetoric have a long history in the state and played a significant role in the creation of Maharashtra more than six decades ago. What explains their resurgence now? The focus on Mumbai At the rally, MNS chief Raj Thackeray said, 'The imposition of Hindi was an experiment done by the BJP to gauge the pulse of the public. Their larger agenda is to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.' Uddhav, who has also previously claimed that the central BJP leadership has systematically undermined Mumbai, echoed the sentiment. During the state BJP council meeting on July 1, Fadnavis had said, 'Ahead of every election, there is a false campaign unleashed by our opponents, of a conspiracy to break Mumbai from Maharashtra. They stoke such emotive issues as they cannot counter our development work.' He added, 'Mumbai was, is, and will remain an integral part of Maharashtra.' To bolster their claims, Opposition parties have cited the recent relocations of key mega projects — including the Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor joint venture and the Tata-Airbus C295 aircraft assembly plant — to the neighbouring Gujarat. It has also been noted that the ambitious International Financial Services Centre project in Mumbai had reached an advanced stage, but was leapfrogged by the establishment of the rival GIFT city in Gujarat. These developments were termed examples of Gujarat's upmanship over Maharashtra. Roots of the rivalry On May 1, 1960, Gujarat and Maharashtra were bifurcated from the state of Bombay after a long, bitter and bloody agitation over the linguistic issue. In Maharashtra, political stalwarts of the time rose above ideological differences to advocate for retaining Mumbai in the state, given its historical, cultural and commercial significance. They also argued that the majority of its residents were Marathi speakers. At the time, Congress leaders at both the Centre and state levels, including Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, were not supportive of state reorganisation on a linguistic basis. They argued it would further lead to divisions in a country that had just gained independence, with the RSS also supporting their view. However, the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement, which gained huge traction in the 1950s among the masses, led to a rethink. With veteran communist and socialist leaders at the helm, it played a significant role in ensuring Mumbai became a part of Maharashtra. At least 106 people lost their lives in the agitation and police firing. Then Bombay Chief Minister Morarji Desai had to resign, and was replaced by then Congress leader Yashwantrao Chavan. The resignation of Union Cabinet Minister C D Deshmukh further gave the agitation renewed impetus. Other states also saw similar linguistic campaigns during this period. Potti Sreeramulu led a fast-unto-death for the creation of Andhra Pradesh from what was then the state of Madras. Eventually, the linguistic basis for reorganisation of states was accepted. The Marathi factor Six years after the creation of Maharashtra, Bal Thackeray laid the foundation of the Shiv Sena — a party that claimed to fight for the rights of the Marathi manoos (human). Thackeray believed that injustice had been meted out against sons of the soil, especially in employment, and questioned the large number of South Indians in public sectors and banks through his fiery, and often divisive rhetoric. The idea caught the imagination of unemployed young people in the state, with slogans such as 'Bajao pungi, hatao lungi!' (blow the Pungi instrument, throw out the South Indian). The movement saw electoral success early on, with some wins in civic polls. As a result of changing migration patterns by the 1980s, the party embarked on an anti-North Indian campaign. This time, migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were blamed for unemployment among the locals. At the time, the party's position towards Gujaratis was more conciliatory. In the 2000s, Uddhav Thackeray took the initiative to reach out to Gujaratis, who constituted 17 per cent of the voter base in Mumbai. The party known for its slogans said, 'Khao Jalebi, fafda, Uddhav Thackeray aapda!' (Savour Jalebi, fafda, as Uddhav Thackeray is ours). Notably, Maharashtra and Karnataka have also had disputes over the inclusion of Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka. Political parties across Maharashtra have demanded areas such as Belgaum, Nippani, Karwar and Gulbarga. However, over the years, it has arguably failed to yield decisive electoral dividends. In comparison, Marathi has successfully been turned into an emotive political issue. Rise of the BJP For the last six decades, Marathi and Gujarati speakers have coexisted in Mumbai, and the city has people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds today. However, cultural issues have often become the flashpoint for political contests. With the electoral gains that the ruling BJP has made across states and demographics since 2014, Maharashtra's parties have invoked the Gujarat vs Maharashtra issue time and again. That PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah hail from Gujarat has frequently been invoked to allege unfairness. With the BJP's perception as a Hindu-Hindi dominance party, the perception of Hindi imposition has helped the Shiv Sena in the past. Raj said at the rally, 'Fadnavis did what even Balasaheb Thackeray could not — he reunited us.' Uddhav also hinted at their alliance, saying, 'We have come together now after many years to remain together.' 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After MK Stalin's reaction to Thackeray brothers' reunion, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP clarifies party's stand on Hindi
A day after the Thackeray cousins reunited in Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena clarified its position on Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin's backing, stating that their opposition is specifically against the imposition of Hindi in primary schools across Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut is addressing workers of the party in Mumbai. (Praful Gangurde /HT file) 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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‘Not our stand in Maharashtra. We speak Hindi': Uddhav Sena distances itself from Stalin's language remark
Amid rising rhetoric over language imposition, Shiv Sena (UBT) has drawn a clear line between Maharashtra's pushback on Hindi and the more hardline opposition seen in Tamil Nadu, distancing itself from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's strong remarks following the Thackeray cousins' 'victory rally' in Mumbai. Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut made it clear that while the party opposes the Centre's efforts to mandate Hindi in primary education, it does not support a complete rejection of the language. '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,' Raut told reporters on Sunday. #WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "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… — ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2025 DMK chief Stalin, who has been at loggerheads with the Centre over the language row, on Saturday said the rally held under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray against Hindi imposition fills them with 'immense excitement' and noted that the struggle has 'transcended state boundaries'. But the Sena (UBT) isn't buying the comparison. '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… Yes, the two brothers have come together for politics, but what have they come together for?' Sanjay Raut asked. The rally in question, dubbed a 'victory rally', was held after two contentious Government Resolutions (GRs) were scrapped in Maharashtra. One GR made Hindi compulsory in Classes 1 to 5, while the other had made it optional. Both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS had slammed the move as an act of language imposition. Addressing the crowd, MNS chief Raj Thackeray accused the BJP of weaponising the three-language formula, calling it a 'political tool' rather than an educational reform. What Stalin said Hours after the Thackeray cousins' reunion, Stalin said, 'The language rights struggle, waged generation after generation by the DMK 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.' 'The enthusiasm and powerful oratory of the victory rally held today in Mumbai under the leadership of brother Uddhav Thackeray against Hindi imposition fills us with immense excitement,' Stalin added. Slamming the BJP, Stalin accused the party of working 'lawlessly and anarchically'. 'The BJP, which acts lawlessly and anarchically by stating that funds will be allocated only if Hindi is taught as a third language in Tamil Nadu schools, has been forced to back down for the second time in Maharashtra, where they govern, due to fear of the people's uprising,' he said. Stalin also invoked Raj Thackeray's questions to the Centre: 'What is the third language taught in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan?' and 'Why are you imposing Hindi on the people of progressive non-Hindi-speaking states when Hindi-speaking states are lagging behind?' The DMK chief once again reiterated his resistance to the NEP's language policy and accused the BJP of linking the release of Rs 2,152 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to Tamil Nadu's acceptance of Hindi and Sanskrit through the backdoor. He framed the opposition as a cultural safeguard rather than a political battle: 'The stance of the people of the state is for protection of India's pluralistic culture, not one that is driven by hatred.' In a final warning to the BJP, Stalin declared: 'The BJP must atone for the betrayal it has committed against Tamil and Tamil Nadu. If not, Tamil Nadu will once again teach the BJP and its new allies a lesson they will never forget.'
