‘Modi government mentally ill, needs hospitalisation’: Raj Thackeray slams student protest crackdown

‘Obsessed with showing power’

Thackeray alleged that those in power are obsessed with demonstrating how sternly they can crush legitimate public demands while maintaining a polished image for international leaders.

Questioning the government’s priorities, he drew parallels with past administrative crises and targeted Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the ongoing exam row.

“At the root of it, who the hell is Dharmendra Pradhan that taking his resignation feels like a failure for the government itself? When Manipur was burning, this very government had given the same kind of impunity to the then Chief Minister Biren Singh. Fine, whether it’s these two or others like them, the top two rulers have zero love for them,” he said.

Thackeray alleged that the government thinks that no one should dictate what they should do, certainly not the Opposition parties, and definitely not the public. He said that the ruling party leaders believe that they do not get elected on public votes; they win because of administrative machinery, flaws in electoral rolls, and EVMs. “So who even cares about the students?” he asked.

He added: “The resignation of incompetent ministers is an absolute necessity, and transparency in examinations is crucial. There is no manliness in crushing protests; true greatness lies in preventing protests from happening or resolving them amicably if they do occur. This opportunity should not be lost to show that the supreme authority has not yet lost its sense of responsibility.”

Criticism of PM Modi’s silence

Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remaining silent while students were being beaten, Thackeray invoked the political concept of a “lame duck” leader.

“Prime ministers or heads of state in their final term are laid-back; they tour the world, their influence has waned, and it’s really their successor who’s running the show. It seems Modi’s situation has become like that now. Even if Modi genuinely wants to take action on all this in his heart, the power in the race to become the successor must be forcing him to turn a blind eye,” he said.

Thackeray said that history will remember that student protests were ruthlessly crushed during Modi’s tenure.

“My request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi: You do things like ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ and so on—then now, talk to the students. Their demands are just. The ego of Dharmendra Pradhan and the government is less important than the anger of the students in this country.”

Warning of widespread unrest

The MNS chief warned that the current agitation extends beyond a single examination or group of students, reflecting broader public frustration over economic hardship, inflation, environmental degradation, and state overreach.

“From the way protesters are being brutally beaten on orders from the Home Ministry, and yet the young boys and girls aren’t budging an inch, one thing is certain: this courage isn’t from anger over a single issue, but from the despair born of the overall situation in the country. So the government should drop the brutality and show some wisdom,” he said.

“The power gained from the Lokpal Bill movement is definitely going to slip away through the students’ movement! Since 2018/19, I’ve been telling the public: You might not understand today what I say about this government, but the day injustice knocks on your door, you’ll get what I was saying! Today, that knocking has started at everyone’s door!”

Concluding his remarks, Thackeray drew historical comparisons to mass movements like the 2022 Sri Lankan protests, the Arab Spring, Nepal’s uprisings, and Jayaprakash Narayan’s ‘Total Revolution’ movement in India.

“Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been supporting this movement and these demands from the beginning, and it will continue. In fact, we were the first to oppose exams like NEET. The Centre shouldn’t have messed with a system that’s been running for so many years, but wisdom doesn’t work in front of power; that’s the truth!”