‘Fadnavis Did What Balasaheb Couldn’t’ Raj Thackeray As Both Cousins Reunite On Stage After 20 Years
In a seismic shift in Maharashtra’s political landscape, estranged cousins Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray shared a public stage on Saturday for the first time in two decades, signalling a major realignment of ‘Marathi manoos’ politics. Addressing a massive “victory” rally at Worli’s NSCI Dome, MNS chief Raj Thackeray took a sharp jibe at the Chief Minister, crediting him for the historic reunion.
The two leaders, who have been political rivals since 2005, joined hands to celebrate the state government’s recent rollback of its controversial decision to make Hindi a compulsory language in primary schools.
“Today, after 20 years, Uddhav and I have come together. What Balasaheb could not do, Devendra Fadnavis did… The work of bringing both of us together,” Raj Thackeray declared to a roaring crowd, framing their joint appearance as a direct consequence of the government’s policies.
Adding weight to the moment and fuelling speculation of a formal political alliance ahead of crucial civic polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray stated, “We have come together to stay together.”
Raj Thackeray asserted that the cause of Maharashtra was paramount. “I had said in one of my interviews that my Maharashtra is bigger than any politics and fight,” the MNS chief reiterated, justifying the reunion as a necessary step to protect the state’s identity.
He clarified his stance on the language issue, stating that his opposition was not to the Hindi language itself but to its imposition. “I don’t have anything against Hindi, no language is bad,” he said. “We Marathi people ruled over a lot of states during the Maratha Empire, but we never enforced Marathi on those parts. They started with the experiment of imposing Hindi over us.”
The MNS chief further alleged a larger conspiracy, suggesting the language policy was a test. “If we would not have opposed it, they would have gone upto making Mumbai separate from Maharashtra,” he claimed.
The historic event, titled ‘Awaj Marathicha’ (Voice of the Marathi), was triggered by the Fadnavis-led government’s decision to revoke the contentious Government Resolutions (GRs) on its three-language policy following intense pressure from the Thackeray-led parties and Marathi cultural groups. The rally, originally planned as a protest, was turned into a celebration of this “victory.”
The last time the two powerful political heirs shared a stage was in 2005, shortly before Raj Thackeray split from the undivided Shiv Sena, then led by his uncle Balasaheb Thackeray, to form the MNS in 2006, citing internal power struggles. Their reunion after twenty years is seen as a significant precursor to a potential alliance for the upcoming and highly coveted Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
