Latest news with #ShivSena
The Print
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Print
Sena (UBT) workers to burn Hindi ‘imposition' GR on eve of Maharashtra monsoon session
Mumbai, Jun 28 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked his party workers to burn the government resolution (GR) on Hindi language in state schools on June 29, a day before the Maharashtra legislature's Monsoon Session is set to begin. Thackeray will be present when the copies of the GR are burnt in south Mumbai, said party vibhag pramukh (area chief) Santosh Shinde.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Thackeray is the brand': Marathi the glue, Uddhav and Raj to now share stage
For the first time in almost two decades, estranged cousins Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray are all set to share the stage together on July 5. The platform: a joint protest rally against the Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi the mandatory third language for primary classes in state-run schools. The Fadnavis government's move has given Raj and Uddhav a rare — but much needed common cause — of defending Marathi identity. Both have said the protest is not 'political', but the symbolism of the two Thackeray heirs coming together is significant. For one, the protest comes amidst the subtle suggestions by Uddhav's Sena (UBT) about joining hands with Raj's MNS. Two, and more crucially, it is being organised ahead of the civic polls in Maharashtra and at a time when the MNS and the Sena (UBT) are struggling to reclaim political space. A partnership before the local civic polls could give Uddhav and his cadre a much-needed boost while helping Raj secure lost ground. All eyes then will be on the July 5 joint march as it might pave the way for potential political reconciliation between the first cousins. The two leaders announced separate protests against the three-language formula on Thursday, claiming it was a way of 'Hindi imposition' in Maharashtra. Raj, who has been leading the charge against the move, said he would hold a 'Virat Morcha' on July 6 at the Girgaon Chowpatty. Uddhav announced support for a rally at Azad Maidan that is being organised by activist Deepak Pawar a day later. The parallel announcements sparked confusion for a while. Within hours, the two sides began communicating with each other. By Thursday evening, Raj reportedly called Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut with the suggestion of a common protest. Raut is said to have taken the proposal to Uddhav who agreed to it 'immediately'. Early Friday morning, Raut posted a photo of the two cousins together on X. 'There will be a single and united march against compulsory Hindi in Maharashtra schools. Thackeray is the brand,' he captioned the image. Sources said the protest would be 'non-political, open to all, and without party flags' and is aimed at 'evoking a larger Marathi cultural solidarity'. Opposing the policy, which critics say makes Hindi the default third language, fits squarely into the foundational ethos of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS. Uddhav and Raj's grandfather Prabodhankar Thackeray was one of the leading faces of the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement that led to the splitting of Maharashtra and Gujarat on a linguistic basis. The late Bal Thackeray — who is Uddhav's father and Raj's uncle – launched the Shiv Sena in 1966 as a party to protect the rights and cultural primacy of Marathi youth in Mumbai's job market. The language issue, therefore, carries not just emotional but ideological weight for the Sena and the MNS. Raj had quit the undivided Shiv Sena in 2005 after reportedly 'feeling sidelined' in the party. But when he launched the MNS in 2006, he did not divorce himself from the Sena ideology. He positioned it as a torchbearer of Marathi pride. While Marathi pride has been a common rallying point, Raj and Uddhav have been at loggerheads. There were attempts earlier too to unite Raj and Uddhav. However, MNS sources claim that there was hesitation from Uddhav's side. The fact that they have agreed to come together now signals a thaw in relations. In April, the Maharashtra government introduced a government order that had said that three languages will be taught from Class 1 with Hindi being the mandatory third language. The established practice in Maharashtra has been to introduce a language to students in secondary school or after class 5. The order was withdrawn after criticism, with an assurance that a new GR will be issued to clarify that Hindi will only just be an 'option' for third language. Earlier this month, a new order was issued by the state government that removed the word 'mandatory' in the language policies for the state board. However, with restrictive conditions on alternatives to Hindi as a third language, many are claiming this is just a 'new push' for Hindi by the state government. Raj has taken the most aggressive stand on the issue. MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said Raj would take the protest against the three-language formula forward. 'We will reach out to all parties that stand for Marathi… This is not Raj Thackeray or Uddhav Thackeray's protest. This is every Marathi person's protest,' Deshpande said. He added the July 5 rally would 'change' Maharashtra's political landscape.
News18
2 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
‘Delhi Tourism…': Kunal Kamra Reacts After Rekha Gupta Warns Him Of Performing ‘At Own Risk'
Kunal Kamra responded to Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, who earlier warned the stand-up comic that he can perform in the national capital "at his own risk". Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who triggered a massive controversy with his recent ' gaddar ' remark directed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, took a jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta who had warned the stand-up comic that he can perform in the national capital 'at his own risk". While speaking at an event organised by The Indian Express, Gupta was asked if she would allow comedians like Kunal Kamra to perform in Delhi, where he would possibly crack jokes on the Prime Minister and other politically-affiliated people. The Delhi CM responded, 'He can come at his own risk. People of Delhi would listen to him." When asked about how a chief minister can say 'at his own risk' and not at her assurance, Gupta responded, 'Right, you come, I will welcome you." Hours after Kamra responded to Gupta's statement and suggested that 'come at your own risk" should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism. ''Come at your own risk' should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism," Kamra said in a post on X. 'Come at your own risk" should be a tagline for Delhi Tourism.— Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) June 27, 2025 Kunal Kamra Row Kamra stoked a row after giving a spin-off to a popular Hindi song in which he took a veiled dig at Shinde, calling him a 'gaddar" (traitor). He allegedly referred to the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis in which Shinde led the collapse of Uddhav Thackeray's state government. Recorded in February, the programme called 'Naya Bharat' was uploaded on Kamra's YouTube channel on March 23, drawing strong reactions from the Shiv Sainiks. Shiv Sena leaders condemned his remarks, demanding an unconditional apology from him. The controversy escalated into violence when Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shinde's Shiv Sena, vandalised the Habitat comedy venue where the show was filmed. Despite having multiple clashes with the BJP-led Centre in the past, the comedian has refused to apologise for his remark but had expressed willingness to cooperate with the police. Three separate cases were filed against the stand-up comedian at Khar police station, with one complaint lodged by the Mayor of Jalgaon city and the other two by a hotelier and a businessman from Nashik, according to the Mumbai Police. For the unversed, Kamra, in 2019 and 2024, contributed to the crowdfunding drive launched by Kanhaiya Kumar, who was then a Congress candidate from northeast Delhi, against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Manoj Tiwari. First Published: June 28, 2025, 09:24 IST
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
RSS mask comes off; it wants ‘Manusmriti': Rahul
Demanding an apology from the Congress for imposing the Emergency, he said, 'Those who did such things are today moving around with the Constitution's copy. They have still not apologised. Your ancestors did it. You must apologise for this to the country,' he said in his remarks aimed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Recalling the days of the Emergency, the RSS leader said while thousands of people were put in jail and tortured during that period, freedom of the judiciary and media was also curtailed. 'The days of the Emergency also witnessed large-scale forced sterilisation,' Hosabale added. Speaking to a news agency on Friday, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC backed the RSS leader's remarks, stating: 'He is absolutely right. The words 'socialist' and 'secular' were not part of the original Preamble of the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar. These were added during the Emergency in 1975, when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi introduced the 42nd Constitutional Amendment. This raises a question—why highlight only these two terms when India is already a sovereign, democratic republic?' She added that the Congress should apologise for the Emergency era amendments, saying: 'Shiv Sena demands that the Congress party apologise publicly for the Emergency. These terms were not in the original draft, and they should be removed.' On the other hand, Congress leader Tariq Anwar condemned Hosabale's remarks, saying: 'There's a clear scent of communalism in his statement. India is secular by nature and by history. The Constitution guarantees the right to equality, the right to vote, and the right to practice one's religion. As for socialism, it aims to reduce inequality. We are striving to create a just society, and the term 'socialism' symbolises that effort.' RJD leader Shakti Singh Yadav also slammed the RSS, accusing it of repeatedly attempting to undermine the Constitution's foundational principles. 'The RSS has always wanted to change the Constitution. The BJP is merely the political face of the RSS, and after coming to power, they are trying to implement the RSS's ideology. Narendra Modi is not just the Prime Minister of India; he represents the RSS's mission. Their agenda to remove socialism and secularism will not be accepted by the people.'
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Mahayuti parties battling each other during poaching spree
Mumbai: The three Mahayuti parties, which are on a poaching spree from opposition parties ahead of local body polls across Maharashtra later this year, are in some cases battling with each other for local leaders in various districts. Leaders from the ruling alliance believe that the competition will only increase as the polls near. Mumbai, India – 18, June 2025: Former Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil Granddaughter-in Law, Jayashri Patil join BJP in the presence of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, and BJP Maharashtra State president Chandrakant Bawankule, BJP minister Chandrakant Patil, at BJP office, Nariman point, in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) For instance, Jayashree Patil, the granddaughter-in-law of former chief minister and the late Congress leader Vasantdada Patil, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last week. A day earlier, the Shiv Sena (UBT) Nashik city chief, Sudhakar Badgujar, joined the party in the presence of senior BJP leaders in Mumbai. Both leaders, who are believed to have strongholds in their respective districts, were willing to join Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, but it was the BJP that managed to woo them, according to leaders aware of the developments. These aren't one-off cases. Badgujar's close aide and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader from Nashik, Vilas Shinde, is expected to join Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena soon. Vilas Shinde was willing to switch to the BJP, along with Badgujar, but Eknath Shinde succeeded in convincing him—and at least eight other former corporators—to join his party. Earlier this week, the Shinde-led Sena inducted 22 former corporators from various parties, including the NCP and BJP, apart from the opposition Congress in Kolhapur. The BJP's local leadership in Kolhapur is said to be unhappy over the poaching, said a party insider. In April, four former MLAs, along with former corporators and key office bearers from various parties, joined the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Many of them, including former MLA Vilasrao Jagtap, were in the BJP earlier. Insiders from the Mahayuti parties admitted that this poaching leads to a tussle and uneasiness between local leaders and party workers. 'It will grow further during the local body polls,' said a BJP leader, requesting anonymity. 'This, however, is expected by the workers, as we are used to such turmoil in politics because of the splits in the Shiv Sena and NCP in 2022 and 2023. Local workers and leaders from the BJP and NCP or Shiv Sena and NCP have been fighting against each other for years, but it was not the case between the Shiv Sena and the BJP. Most of these leaders and former corporators are joining parties convenient to them to get the candidature in the local body polls.' A Shiv Sena leader added that the Mahayuti parties are trying to one-up each other while making political offers to leaders they want to poach. 'Like in the case of Jayashree Patil, she is believed to have gotten a better political offer, including nomination to the legislative council and relaxation in legal action against a local bank under her. Though she was ready to join the NCP, the BJP lured her with a better offer,' the leader said. Political analyst Hemant Desai said that the tussle between the Mahayuti parties will only increase further in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region as the polls near. 'Shinde has already poached most of the Shiv Sena (UBT) corporators, and could demand more seats on that basis from the BJP. Similarly, the two parties are at loggerheads in Thane for political clout. This will happen between the Mahayuti parties in the districts where they are fighting for political power against each other,' he added. According to Shiv Sena leaders, corruption cases emerging against their leaders like Sanjay Shirsat and Sandipanrao Bhumre are part of the tussle between the two ruling parties. 'The cases could be used by other ruling parties to keep these leaders, who are a strong voice in their respective districts, in check during the local body polls,' said a Shiv Sena leader from Marathwada, requesting anonymity.
