Uddhav Thackeray opposes Hindi as third language

Thackeray began his press conference by highlighting what he called the imposition of Hindi over Marathi. “Today, those who love Marathi have come together in protest. It’s now clear why the BJP wanted to destroy the original Shiv Sena,” he said.

He emphasised that neither he nor his party is against any language. “We are not against Hindi. The Hindi film industry was born in Maharashtra. But forcing a language is unacceptable,” he said.

Calls for CM to roll back the policy

He said the controversy could be resolved in two minutes if the Chief Minister withdrew the decision to make Hindi the third language. “We plan to take this issue to the streets. This is a protest for Marathi pride, not against any other language,” Thackeray added.

'One language, one party agenda'

Thackeray accused the BJP of attempting to impose a “one language, one party” ideology, referencing BJP President JP Nadda's earlier statements. “This is a linguistic emergency. Traitors who once called themselves Shiv Sainiks are now part of this government,” he said.

He added that India’s federal structure is built around linguistic states and accused the government of not implementing policies that promote Marathi despite numerous previous efforts.

Appeal for broader support

Calling the move part of the BJP’s “hidden agenda,” Thackeray urged political parties, the film industry, legal professionals, and genuine Marathi-speaking BJP workers to join the protest. “It’s becoming difficult to find true BJP workers these days,” he quipped.

Criticism of Deputy CM Shinde and Raj Thackeray

He questioned the rationale behind the three-language formula, arguing that India is a multilingual nation and no single language should be prioritised in this way. Taking a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, he said, “He is supporting the policy only because he is helpless.”

When asked about MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s stance on implementing Hindi in schools, Uddhav Thackeray said bluntly, “I don’t look at others’ positions on this issue.
Touching briefly on other governance issues, Thackeray criticised the administration's focus on improving credit scores without addressing unemployment. “What’s the use of a better credit score if our youth don’t get jobs?” he asked.