Reacting to the “victory” rally of Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray held in Mumbai on Saturday, where they attacked the BJP-led Mahayuti government over its now-scrapped move to introduce Hindi in primary schools, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Uddhav’s criticism as a “rudali (professional mourner)” speech. While speaking to the media in Pandharpur, where the CM is visiting on the eve of the Ashadhi Ekadashi worship at the Lord Vitthal temple, Fadnavis said, “I wholeheartedly thank MNS president Raj Thackeray for giving me credit for reuniting the Thackeray cousins. I am sure the late Bal Thackeray’s blessings are with me.” As the estranged Thackeray cousins shared a stage for the first time in two decades, Raj said that “Fadnavis did what Bal Thackeray could not – he reunited us”. Referring to Uddhav, Fadnavis said, “Balasaheb Thackeray must be blessing me. I was told it was supposed to be a ‘vijay (victory)’ rally, but it turned out to be a ‘rudali’ speech.” In some states, particularly Rajasthan, mourners hired to publicly express grief at funerals are often referred to as rudalis. “The rally was for Marathi. But in his entire speech, Uddhav Thackeray did not utter a word on the main subject. Instead, he kept harping on how his government was dislodged,” Fadnavis added. Referring to the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Fadnavis said, “The undivided Shiv Sena ruled it for 25 years. They were in power. But they did nothing for the development of the city.” Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, he said, Mumbai has been “transformed”. Rejecting Uddhav’s allegation against the Mahayuti government’s “injustice to Marathi”, Fadnavis said, “We are also Marathi and proud of the language and culture. At the same time, we are also Hindu… We never compromised our Hindutva for power.” Deputy CM Eknath Shinde also took aim at the Sena (UBT) chief, accusing him of “double standards”, citing the previous Uddhav-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s decision to make Hindi, Marathi, and English “compulsory” from Classes 1 to 12. Speaking in Thane, Shinde said the three-language policy stems from recommendations made by the Dr Raghunath Mashelkar Committee constituted during the MVA’s tenure and allegedly approved by Uddhav. “He should have apologised to the Marathi people for accepting the report. Instead, he’s using the issue for political attacks,” Shinde said. He accused Uddhav of turning a cultural platform into a political battlefield. “There was no concern for the Marathi manoos – only self-interest and a visible hunger for power,” he alleged. Shinde, however, praised Raj Thackeray for showing “genuine concern” for the Marathi language. “One leader upheld dignity, the other revealed his selfish agenda,” he said. Shinde also defended his track record, pointing to the adoption of the State Song and the proposal for Classical Language status for Marathi during the previous Mahayuti government headed by him. “Yet today, even the Prime Minister was targeted – a move that reflects their mindset and frustration,” he said. Shinde also flagged the decline in Mumbai’s Marathi-speaking population and alleged that Uddhav had abandoned Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology for the CM’s post in 2019. “The people gave their verdict (in 2024 Assembly polls). We won 60 seats, Uddhav’s party managed only 20,” he said.
