Shiv Sena Clarifies Stand After Thackeray Reunion: Opposition Only to Hindi Imposition in Maharashtra Schools

A day after Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray appeared together on stage in a rare public event, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut took a sharp swipe at Raj Thackeray, questioning the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader’s political direction and alleged proximity to the BJP and Eknath Shinde faction.

In his weekly column ‘Rokthok’, published on Sunday, Raut criticised Raj Thackeray for his association with the BJP during a period when the Shiv Sena was facing significant challenges.

“Raj Thackeray Had Tea with BJP and Shinde Group”

Raut wrote, “Uddhav and Raj Thackeray’s paths in politics went in opposite directions. After the split caused by [Amit] Shah, Shiv Sena joined the Maha Vikas Aghadi along with the Congress and NCP.

Raj Thackeray kept having tea with the BJP, Shinde group, etc. He even went to Delhi once to meet Amit Shah, but it did not benefit Maharashtra and the political path of MNS did not move forward.”

“Division Benefited Delhi, Not Maharashtra”

According to Raut, the division between the Thackeray cousins served the interests of “Delhi and the business politics here”, weakening Marathi political unity.

He also accused the BJP and its allies of manipulating electoral rolls to their advantage.

“The BJP and its allies are winning elections by inserting lakh of migrant names in the voter lists. MNS was also defeated in this,” Raut claimed.

Call for Marathi Voter Unity

Highlighting the importance of unity among Marathi voters, Raut stated, “It is in the interest of Maharashtra to increase the Marathi percentage of votes, and from that to raise a united challenge in all municipal, district council and Assembly elections. Only if this happens, the Marathi people will be able to live with self-respect.”

In a pointed conclusion, Raut remarked, “Otherwise, drums and drums will beat, roars will be raised, and trumpets will be blown. This enthusiasm should remain the same!”

Thackeray Cousins Share Stage After 18 Years

The remarks come a day after Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, cousins and prominent leaders in Maharashtra politics, shared a stage after nearly two decades.

The occasion was a joint victory event titled ‘Awaj Marathicha’, organised to celebrate the Maharashtra government’s rollback of its decision to implement Hindi as an optional third language in primary schools.

The gathering also marked their protest against the three-language policy, which had triggered widespread opposition from Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction).

Clarification on Party’s Stand on Hindi

The day after the joint event, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) clarified their stance on the Hindi language issue, following comments from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

Stalin had praised the Thackeray cousins for opposing the imposition of Hindi, suggesting the movement had expanded beyond state boundaries.

However, Sanjay Raut sought to draw a distinction between opposing Hindi imposition in schools and opposing the language itself.

“We Speak Hindi, But No to Its Imposition in Schools”

Speaking to reporters, Raut explained, “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…”

MK Stalin’s Reaction

MK Stalin had earlier congratulated the Thackeray cousins, stating that their resistance to the Hindi language policy reflected a growing national movement.

In a post on X, Stalin wrote, “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.”

No Objection to Hindi as a Language

Clarifying further, Raut said, “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.”

Possibility of Sena (UBT) and MNS Alliance?

The joint public appearance has also sparked speculation about a potential political alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS.

Though no formal announcement was made, Uddhav Thackeray hinted at the possibility during the event.

For now, the focus remains on the language policy debate, growing political unity among Marathi parties, and the future course of action for both Thackeray-led parties.