Historic Unity Rally: Uddhav & Raj Thackeray Unite After 20 Years

Mumbai, July 1 (PTI) — In a historic event, estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray are set to share the stage for the first time in 20 years. On July 5, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will jointly host a "victory" rally to commemorate the rollback of controversial government resolutions regarding the three-language policy.

Both parties, led by Uddhav and Raj respectively, have issued a public invitation for the "Marathi Vijay Diwas" event at the NSCI Dome in Worli. The invitation, named 'Marathicha Awaaz', marks the first official announcement of the event. Notably, it contains no party symbol, but instead features a graphic of Maharashtra alongside the names of the Thackeray cousins as hosts.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has confirmed Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's participation in the rally. The upcoming elections in Mumbai's civic body and other municipal corporations have intensified the interest surrounding their potential reconciliation over the Marathi identity.

The state government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, recently faced pushback over the introduction of Hindi in Maharashtra schools starting from class 1. In response, Fadnavis announced the withdrawal of the two GRs enforcing the three-language policy.

Both the MNS and Sena (UBT) had originally planned a protest march against the policy’s "imposition" of Hindi. However, they canceled the joint protest once the resolutions were rolled back, declaring it a victory for the Marathi people.

Uddhav Thackeray subsequently announced a celebratory event on July 5 to mark the "unity of the Marathi manoos".

The joint invitation addresses "Marathi sisters and brothers", framing the rally as a celebration of Marathi pride and unity. "Did we make the government bow down? Yes! This celebration will be yours, and we were merely fighting on your behalf," reads the message.

Raj Thackeray, who is the nephew of late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, parted ways with the party in January 2006 due to differences with Uddhav. Though MNS initially gained ground by winning 13 seats in the 2009 assembly elections, it subsequently faded in Maharashtra’s political scene.

In a recent interview, Raj Thackeray expressed a desire to resolve past disputes for the sake of Marathi unity, and Uddhav Thackeray has indicated his openness to collaboration with his cousin.