Raj Thackeray Thanks Fadnavis For Unexpected Thackeray Family Reunion

At a massive joint rally held in Worli, Mumbai, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray made a striking remark, crediting BJP leader and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for reuniting him with his estranged cousin, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, after two decades of separation.

"Uddhav and I are coming together after 20 years... What Balasaheb Thackeray couldn't do, what thousands of others couldn't do-Devendra Fadnavis has managed to do," Raj declared in Marathi, drawing loud applause from the crowd. The cousins had parted ways politically while Bal Thackeray was still alive, after the Sena patriarch chose Uddhav as his political successor over Raj.

The joint appearance of the two Thackerays was held under the banner of "Marathi pride," a theme strongly associated with Bal Thackeray's political legacy. The timing of their reunion coincides with widespread backlash against the Maharashtra government's now-withdrawn decision to introduce Hindi as a mandatory third language in schools.

"Why is Hindi being forced on our children?" Raj questioned, slamming the BJP-led government's language policy. Uddhav, speaking after him, expressed solidarity on the issue: "When it comes to language, Raj, I, and everyone here are united."

Uddhav also addressed criticism regarding their parties' aggressive tactics. "Yes, we are goons. If being goons means fighting for justice, then we are ready to do goondagiri," he said defiantly, in reference to allegations of MNS and Shiv Sena workers confronting street vendors and others for not speaking Marathi.

Raj Thackeray emphasized the street-level strength of their movements, contrasting it with the BJP's institutional power: "Your power lies in the legislature. Ours is on the street," he said. He claimed the public backlash forced the government to roll back its language policy, pointing out that the decision had been made without consulting education experts. "Just because you have power, you think you can impose things," Raj added.

Taking a swipe at states ruled by BJP where Hindi is the primary language, Raj stated, "Hindi-speaking states remain economically backward. Their people are migrating to non-Hindi-speaking regions. Why hasn't Hindi helped them progress?"

On the controversial third-language issue, he alleged it was just the beginning: "They were testing the waters. If the Hindi decision had gone unopposed, the next step would have been to attempt separating Mumbai from Maharashtra."

Leaders from both factions were visibly elated during the rally. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey told ANI, "This is a golden moment. After many years, both Thackerays-two powerful names in Maharashtra politics-have come together. Not for political gain, but for the honour of Maharashtra."