Hindi Row: MNS, Shiv Sena (UBT) Workers Unite To Ensure Grand ‘Victory Rally’

Mumbai: After the Maharashtra Government withdrew orders on three-language policy, in which Hindi was included as a third language, in schools, the Thackeray brothers are leaving no stone unturned to make their joint ‘victory’ rally on July 5 a grand success. Both the leaders have issued a joint public invite to celebrate the rally as a ‘Marathi Vijay Diwas.’

Titled ‘Marathicha Awaaz,’ the invitation marks the first official announcement of the event and carries no party symbols or flags – only a graphic image of Maharashtra.

The ‘victory celebrations’ would be held on July 5 at 10 am at the Dome in Sardar Vallabhbhai Stadium, National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Worli. It lists cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray as the hosts.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, on their official social media platforms, also made the joint appeal signed by “Raj Thackeray - Uddhav Thackeray.” The rally would mark the first appearance by Raj and Uddhav Thackeray in nearly two decades.

Preparations for the event are in full swing, with senior leaders from both parties involved in the planning. Their supporters have also started the trend on social media with the slogan “Thackerays are coming.”

Asking Marathi people to attend the rally in large numbers, the invitation says, “It was Marathi people, who made the government bow down. We were merely fighting on behalf of you. So the celebration will be yours and we are just the organisers.”

After huge backlash and a threat of protest march by Thackeray brothers, the Maharashtra government was forced to withdraw two GRs on the three-language policy, which introduced Hindi as a third language in Marathi and English schools from Class 1-4.

Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut posted on X, “Decided…5 July…Marathi’s victory celebrations…Thackerays are coming.”

He added that both Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray will attend the event. “There should be no doubt about the Thackeray brothers coming together. We have also invited other political parties and people to join the programme,” Raut said.

The rally will demonstrate the might of Marathi people against this Hindi imposition. We’ve shown Delhi that 'tiger abhi zinda hai' (tiger is still alive), the Rajya Sabha MP stated.

Targeting the BJP, Raut said, “Every time they try to suppress the Marathi people, we bounce back with even more strength. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis must realise this isn’t a mute Maharashtra they're dealing with.”