Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has lashed out at the Maharashtra government for trying to impose Hindi in the state, asking why such efforts aren’t made in places like Tamil Nadu or West Bengal.
“Devendra Fadnavis, you said you won’t tolerate language hooliganism. Show me one Marathi who does this outside Maharashtra,” Uddhav said at a massive rally in Mumbai on Saturday.
His comments were directed at the BJP-led government’s earlier move to make Hindi compulsory in primary schools. The decision faced backlash and was later amended on June 17, making Hindi optional instead of mandatory.
“We are not against any language, but if you make anything compulsory, we will show our power,” Uddhav warned.
He was addressing a joint rally with his cousin Raj Thackeray of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), marking their public reunion after nearly 20 years.
The rally was attended by thousands of party workers and supporters. Both MNS and Sena (UBT) had invited artists, writers, and activists to join the protest against what they call “Hindi imposition”.
Similar concerns have been raised by other states. Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin had earlier said, “Hindi colonialism is replacing British colonialism… non-Hindi speakers are suffocating.”
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also slammed the central government’s approach. “Every state has its own language. BJP cannot decide the future of our culture,” she said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, however, claimed Hindi is not a threat to any Indian language. “Hindi is not a competitor. It is a friend to all Indian languages,” he said.
But in Maharashtra, the sentiment is strong.
“Try imposing Hindi in Bengal or Tamil Nadu. See what happens,” Uddhav said during his fiery speech. “Why always pick on Maharashtra?”
