The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Saturday invited Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to join hands in opposing the imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra. Uddhav accepted Raj’s offer, albeit with certain conditions, which he spelt out clearly.

It all began when actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar interviewed Raj Thackeray and asked him if it was possible for him to join hands with Uddhav Thackeray.

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Replying to Manjrekar, Raj Thackeray said, “I am willing to set aside minor disputes to protect the interests of Maharashtra and preserve the Marathi language. This issue is very important for the existence of Maharashtra and the Marathi people. Therefore, I do not think that coming together is a difficult thing. This is not a matter of my desire alone or my selfishness. I think it is necessary to look at the larger picture. Marathi people of all political parties in Maharashtra should come together and form a single party”.

When asked to respond to his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray’s statement, Uddhav Thackeray said, “I am ready to put aside petty disputes. I appeal to all Marathi people to come together for Maharashtra. But there is one condition, first decide that you will never invite home and serve food to those who act against Maharashtra’s interests, and only then talk about the welfare of the state”.

“When we raised the issue in the Lok Sabha that all industries were being shifted to Gujarat, we could have formed a government in Maharashtra’s interest by opposing it then. It does not work if we support the issue once, then oppose it later, and then compromise again. I will neither welcome nor invite anyone, nor sit beside anyone who comes in the way of Maharashtra’s interests. Decide this first, and then talk about doing things in the interest of Maharashtra,” Uddhav Thackeray said.

Uddhav’s statement referred to Raj Thackeray’s previous political flip-flops of first opposing the BJP and then joining hands with the BJP or compromising with it.

“Hindi has been made compulsory. We will listen to everything with love, but if you force it on us, we will uproot your roots and throw you away. My cabinet decided to make Marathi compulsory in Maharashtra. Whoever resides in Maharashtra must learn Marathi. We will not allow Hindi to be forced upon Maharashtra,” Uddhav Thackeray said.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, speaking to media persons on Saturday, respectfully referred to MNS President Raj Thackeray as “Raj Saheb” and said, “Both are Thackerays and cousin brothers. That relation is permanent. They may have had some political differences, and so they took independent paths. We are looking at it from a positive perspective, but we shall adopt a wait-and-watch approach.”

Earlier, on Friday, the student wing of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena staged a protest in Navi Mumbai against the Mahayuti government’s decision to make Hindi mandatory for school students from the first standard.

Hundreds of protesters waved banners and placards and burnt copies of the government resolution at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, near Mumbai, even as they raised slogans against the state administration, accusing it of attempting to impose a language in a region with a rich linguistic heritage.

Speaking to media persons on Friday, Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) claimed the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 does not contain any provision mandating Hindi as a compulsory subject.

“This is an unwarranted imposition. Nowhere in the NEP 2020 is there a mention of Hindi being made compulsory,” one of the student leaders said, drawing parallels with Tamil Nadu’s firm resistance to the imposition of Hindi and urging political parties across Maharashtra to unite in protest.

Meanwhile, Professor Narendra Phatak, executive president of the Sahitya Bharati and a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Parishad, said that the Mahayuti government’s move was unjust and burdensome for students.

He said the government’s stand misrepresents the NEP 2020 and undermines the principles of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

“This is a unilateral decision that will only fuel resistance against Hindi, which was never an issue in Maharashtra. Unfortunately, such policies allow specific groups to politicise the matter and initiate agitations,” Narendra Phatak said.