Mumbai advocate moves Supreme Court against Raj Thackeray over ‘anti-Hindi' remarks

The Hindu

20-07-2025

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking criminal proceedings against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly inciting violence and spreading linguistic hatred against Hindi-speaking citizens in Maharashtra.
The petition was filed by Bombay High Court advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay on Friday (July 18, 2025) and is expected to come up for hearing in the coming week. It calls for strict legal action under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and aims to curb what the petitioner describes as 'language-based chauvinism' that threatens India's constitutional values.
The PIL alleges that Mr. Thackeray's recent public statements—particularly around the Marathi language—violate multiple sections of the IPC: Section 153A for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of language and place of birth, Section 295A for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage feelings and Section 505(2) for making statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes.
The 114-page petition includes multiple news reports as evidence and alleges that Mr. Thackeray, along with his political party and its workers, has been involved in repeated incidents of mob violence and physical assault targeting individuals from other States residing in Maharashtra—particularly in cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Raigad. The petition accuses Mr. Thackeray and his party of engaging in acts of aggression based on caste, creed, and language, labels such actions as anti-national. It further claims that these activities pose a serious threat to the sovereignty, integrity, and unity of India, and have continued unchecked and with impunity.
Row over three-language policy
On April 16 and June 17, 2025, the Government of Maharashtra issued resolutions introducing a three-language policy in primary schools. These decisions brought together two long-time political rivals—cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray—who united in opposition to the inclusion of Hindi as the third language in schools. While their alliance is rooted in regional language concerns, the broader issue at hand reflects a long-standing debate over adopting Hindi as a national language.
According to the petitioner, given that Hindi is widely spoken across many regions and relatively easy to learn, proponents argue it is a natural candidate to serve as India's national language. 'It is, however, disheartening to note that even after 78 years of Independence, Hindi has yet to be officially recognised as such. The petitioner therefore urges the Government of India to take necessary steps to declare Hindi as the national language in the interest of national unity,' Mr. Upadhyay said.
The petition alleges that Mr. Raj Thackeray, in a bid to gain political ground ahead of the upcoming local body elections—particularly in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, one of the wealthiest civic bodies in the country, sought to exploit the controversy surrounding the introduction of Hindi as the third language in Maharashtra's primary schools.
It claims that, in doing so, he has delivered a series of provocative speeches targeting Hindi-speaking migrants from States such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, who have settled in cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, and Pune. The petition accuses Mr. Thackeray of actively promoting enmity between communities based on place of birth, residence, and language—actions that not only disrupt social harmony but also threaten the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of the nation.
'Threat of violence'
'Mr. Thackeray's speeches have incited public unrest, turning what began as opposition to Hindi into the forceful imposition of Marathi on non-Marathi speakers in Maharashtra. At a rally held around July 5, 2025, titled Awaj Marathicha, Mr. Thackeray allegedly endorsed physical violence, stating that those who don't speak Marathi should be struck 'below the eardrums'. He reportedly mocked Hindi-speaking States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan as economically backward, questioning how Hindi could resolve problems in Maharashtra if it hadn't done so in those regions,' Mr. Upadhyay said.
The PIL further claimed that Mr. Thackeray named Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his speech, misrepresenting his stance on language and employment. The petition accuses Mr. Thackeray of encouraging his party workers to assault and intimidate Hindi-speaking migrants, engage in incidents of mob violence, vandalism of shops, and targeted attacks in cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Raigad. Mr. Upadhyay said, 'One such case cited involves a businessman from Rajasthan who was allegedly beaten up in Mira-Bhayander for not speaking Marathi—an incident that sparked widespread protests from the local business community.' He is accused of publicly warning that such incidents were 'just trailers', threatening further violence if the use of Hindi is not curbed in Maharashtra.
The petition alleges that in recent months, at Mr. Thackeray's behest, MNS workers began inspecting offices and business establishments to check if operations were being conducted in Marathi. In one instance, they allegedly stormed a bank and assaulted an employee for not speaking Marathi. Similar incidents reportedly involved a security guard and a Zomato delivery worker.
'Politically motivated'
The petition further claimed that Mr. Thackeray's so-called 'Marathi pride' is politically motivated, aimed at consolidating votes ahead of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections—where a massive ₹74,427 crore budget is at stake. It accuses the MNS chief and his supporters of systematically targeting, intimidating, and humiliating Hindi-speaking migrants.
'Despite a formal complaint dated July 10, 2025, addressed to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Maharashtra CM, Election Commission of India, and police authorities—urging FIR registration and even cancellation of MNS' recognition—no action has been taken,' Mr. Upadhyay said.