Thackeray cousins announce July 26 Mumbai march backing CJP student protests

“The demand had initially been for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. But after the way students were beaten, this issue is no longer limited to Pradhan. It has reached the Prime Minister. Had the government called these students for talks and understood their concerns, the situation would never have escalated to this point,” he said.

He also criticised the Centre’s handling of public agitations.

“During the farmers’ agitation too, they refused to meet anyone. The same happened in Manipur. Every time there is a public movement, their first instinct is to crush it instead of listening,” Raj said.

Uddhav Thackeray alleged that the Centre had allowed the agitation to escalate by refusing to engage with students and criticised the reported police action against protesters in Delhi.

Referring to his meeting with activist Sonam Wangchuk, he said: “I had told him to end his fast. A fast should be held before people who have some sensitivity. This government has no sensitivity.”

The two leaders also warned against attempts to derail the July 26 march. Raj alleged that unidentified persons had tried to infiltrate recent protests and said any similar attempts during the Mumbai rally would be dealt with, while maintaining that the march itself would remain peaceful.

The announcement comes amid continuing protests over the Centre’s handling of the student agitation, with the Thackerays urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to directly engage with students instead of responding through official statements.

Thackeray brothers’ call for rally to regain lost ground: CM Fadnavis

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has dismissed the Thackeray cousins’ decision to hold a march against NEET paper leak in Mumbai as a “political jumla”, saying both were hoping to “regain their lost political grounds using ongoing student protest.”

“Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS are grappling for political survival after losing the political hold on their parties. Therefore, by putting the gun on the shoulders of students they are trying to regain the ground which has already slipped following public rejection,” Fadnavis said.

The state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been aggressively countering attack on NEET paper leak, has also targeted the Opposition, claiming all rallies and protests in Delhi and Maharashtra were an attempt to retain their political identity.

Drawing a comparison between NEET paper leak and TET scam, Fadnavis said, “The biggest Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) exam scam took place during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) rule when Uddhav Thackeray was the CM of Maharashtra.”