A day after Maharashtra Government revoked its two resolutions declaring Hindi as a “third language” for the first to fifth standard students in Marathi and English medium schools in the state, Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — on Monday announced that the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS would hold a joint victory rally on July 5, instead of the protest planned by them earlier at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.
Interacting with media persons separately, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray said that they would convert their proposed joint protest into a victory rally at the Azad rally on Saturday (July 5).
The announcement by the Thackeray cousins followed a decision taken by the BJP-led MahaYuti Government to cancel the Government Resolutions (GRs) issued on April 16 and June 17, 2025 about the introduction of Hindi as “Hindi” language as “third language” and appoint a committee headed by economist, writer and educationalist Dr Narendra Jadhav, to re-look into the three-language policy – under which Hindi was made the third language.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made had come after the protesting Shiv Sena (UBT) workers burnt the copies of the two GRs making Hindi as the third language for the first to fifth standard students in Marathi and English medium schools in the state “We have appointed Dr Narendra Jadhav to determine from which standard the three-language policy should be implemented, how the implementation should take place and what choices should be given to students. Based on the report to be submitted by the Narendra Jadhav committee, we will take a final decision,” Fadnavis said.
Reacting to the state Government’s decision to withdraw two GRs introducing Hindi as the “third language, Uddhav said: "We have smashed the heads of those who hate Marathi. Before they raise their heads again and the next crisis hits us, we should maintain this unity. We are talking to everyone. We need to show the same unity in the victory celebration," Uddhav said.
"The issue of making Hindi compulsory is over and the Marathi unity will be on display on July 5," he added.
Alluding to the state Government’s decision to appoint a committee headed by Dr Narendra Jadhav to look into the third language policy and its earlier decision to make Hindi as the “third language” in primary schools, Uddhav said: “I am warning the Government not to take the matter lightly. This pertains to education, and you have appointed an economist," he said.
“I don’t understand why the state Government was insisting on bringing in Hindi as the third language in primary schools. Earlier, Hindi was taught from around Class 5 or 6, and that was acceptable. But why did the state Government want to push it from Class 1 now? Hindi is not the rashtra bhasha (national language) to be imposed on other states,” Raj said.
"People are trying to make the 150 to 200-year-old Hindi language appear superior to Marathi, which has a history of over 3,000 years. This is unacceptable, and I will not allow it,” t4he MNS chief said.
On the appointment of the Narendra Jadhav-led committee to look into the three-language policy, Raj said: “Whatever may be the recommendations of the Government appointed committee, we will not allow Hindi to be taught in schools from the first standard in the state”.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray accused the ruling BJP of trying to divide Marathi people and said: “They (BJP) are making all efforts to divide Marathi people, they are making all efforts to ensure that the two brothers (Uddhav and Raj) don’t come together”.
Interestingly enough, as monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature began on Monday morning, the
legislators the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) were in a celebratory mood for having forced the Maha Yuti Government to withdraw the two GRs regarding the “imposition” of Hindi as the third language.