Uddhav orders Sena workers to burn Hindi imposition GR before Monsoon Session

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackery has ordered his party workers to burn the government resolution (GR) on teaching Hindi language from Class 1 in schools on June 29, on the eve of the Maharashtra legislature’s Monsoon Session, which begins on June 30, party sources said.

Uddhav Thackeray himself will be present when copies of the GR will be burnt, according to Shiv Sena sources.

Advertisement

It may be recalled that on June 17, the Maharashtra government had issued a GR to teach Hindi “generally” to students from Class 1, as the third language.

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that the Mahayuti government has imposed Hindi as a third language in Marathi and English schools due to pressure from the central government and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Raut cited a recent statement made in Mumbai by veteran RSS leader Bhayyaji Joshi that Marathi is not the language of Mumbai.

“There was pressure from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the state government to implement the three-language policy by making Hindi compulsory in Marathi and English schools. The Fadnavis government has already issued a GR due to the pressure from the central government,” Raut said.

He alleged that the Fadnavis government is working to destroy Marathi due to pressure from the central government and the RSS.

“The government resolution on the imposition of Hindi will be burnt at the protest march,” Raut said, referring to the protest march scheduled for July 5 in which Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder Raj Thackeray will participate.

“Sharad Pawar has extended his support for the morcha on July 5. I have spoken to Sharad Pawar. Pawar has said that he will try to come. The Congress party will also participate. Dalit Panthers, Peasants & Workers Party, Left parties and various organisations will also join. All Marathi people will be united,” Raut said.

“We want the Marathi forces to fight the Brihanmumbai Municipal elections together. Earlier, the leaders of the Shiv Sena and the MNS did not meet each other, but now they are meeting each other and holding discussions. There will be a positive atmosphere after the protest march. I believe that the unity of the Marathi people will not be broken,” Raut said.

Meanwhile, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena MLA Varun Sardesai met in Dadar on Saturday to plan for the protest march. “We have met many times before, but today we met to discuss the protest march,” Deshpande said.

In a related development, senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar called Congress leader Vijay Vadettiwar and requested participation in the march. Vadettiwar replied that based on Nandgaonkar’s request, he would take a decision about participating in the march after discussions with the Congress state president and other leaders.

Support for the protest march has also also come from Ajit Pawar-led NCP MLA Amol Mitkari who welcomed the joint march by the Thackeray cousins. Mitkari said that if there is no legislative business on the day of the protest march, he will definitely participate as a lover of the Marathi language.