4 days ago
Sena (UBT), MNS, prepare for joint July 5 march against 'Hindi imposition'
MUMBAI: A day after announcing a joint protest rally against the Mahayuti government's 'imposition of Hindi' in primary schools, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have launched a mobilisation drive to get maximum support from citizens. While both Thackeray cousins have assigned partymen to work out the details of the July 5 rally, Uddhav will also participate in a protest organised by the Marathi Abhyas Kendra on Sunday at Azad Maidan to burn copies of the Government Resolution (GR) pertaining to the issue. Senior MNS leaders have been conducting awareness drives, distributing pamphlets in local trains about the rally. (Photo by Jaideep Vaidya)
Uddhav has assigned the task of coordination with the MNS to senior leaders Sanjay Raut, Anil Parab and Varun Sardesai. Mumbai MNS chief Sandeep Deshpande, to conduct the awareness drive, has been travelling in local trains, distributing pamphlets and conveying messages about the morcha. 'I am also meeting a lot of Ganeshostav mandals and Govind mandals and asking them for support,' he said.
The MNS leaders met police officers to get permission for the morcha. 'Nitin Sardesai, Shirish Sawant and deputy chief of Mumbai city Yashwant Killedar met the additional commissioner (South) Abhinav Deshmukh,' said MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar. 'We were told that allowing a morcha in South Mumbai would amount to contempt of court orders. But if we don't take out a morcha for the sake of Marathi, who will? I am also speaking to leaders of all political parties to make this morcha a big success.'
Uddhav Thackeray himself is handling the mobilisation programme of the Sena (UBT). After participating in the Azad Maidan protest on Sunday afternoon, he will hold a meeting of party office bearers, including shakha pramukhs, to discuss preparations for the July 5 march.
'The Marathi Abhyas Kendra, under Deepak Pawar, has organised a protest and a burning of the GR on compulsory Hindi on Sunday,' said a party official. 'Pawar met Thackeray recently and Thackeray assured him that he would participate in the protest. Along with this, party workers will burn the GR at several places, including Dadar and Bandra. Thackeray has directed all district level leaders to burn the GR in their respective districts.'
Deepak Pawar on Saturday said that along with Thackeray, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal and MNS leader Nitin Sardesai, CPI leader Prakash Reddy and others would also participate in the Marathi Abhyas Kendra protest.
Meanwhile, MP Sanjay Raut expressed hope that the joint march of the Thackeray cousins on July 5 would turn into the beginning of a political alliance. In an interview to a news channel, he revealed that the dialogue between Uddhav and Raj had begun. 'The cousins have spoken to each other before the July 5 march; they will discuss it,' he said. 'Both are ready in their minds for a reunion and no one can stop it.'
