The Maharashtra government on Sunday announced the withdrawl of two orders on the implementation of the three-language policy in schools from classes 1 to 5 amid mounting heat from the opposition parties. Addressing a press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said the Maharashtra government attempted to create a divide between Marathis and non-Marathis, but "lost to the power of Marathi manoos".
"The government lost to the power of Marathi manoos. The government did not realise Marathi manoos will unite in this manner," he asserted, calling the orders an attempt to break their unity.
Speaking to reporters, the former Maharashtra CM also alleged that Fadnavis was against Marathi. "Why is the Chief Minister against Marathi?They should discuss other important issues...The assembly session is going to start...Why is there poison in the mind (of the Chief Minister) against the Marathi language? The Chief Minister is against the Marathi language," Thackeray remarked.
Earlier today, Fadnavis, while addressing a press conference in Mumbai on the eve of the monsoon session of state legislature, said the GRs on three-language imposition have been withdrawn. He also announced that a committee headed by educationist Narendra Jadhav will be formed to suggest how to proceed with the language policy.
Shortly after the rollback announcement, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) said the protest march against the GRs on July 5 has been cancelled. However, Thackeray said the event will now be a victory march to celebrate the success of Marathi unity.
'Why Is Maha Govt Adamant About Hindi?': Raj Thackeray
Subsequently, Raj Thackeray took to X and claimed that the state had withdrawn orders due to fear, and asked BJP-led government to avoid creating confusion with the committee's report, warning that such a panel "will not be allowed to function in Maharashtra".
"We assume this decision has been permanently canceled, and the people of Maharashtra have assumed the same. So, do not create confusion with the committee’s report again, otherwise, the government should note that this committee will not be allowed to function in Maharashtra," he said.
“Why was the government so adamant about the Hindi language and who exactly was pressuring the government for this remains a mystery,” Raj Thackeray said.
The MNS leader further said that the government took the decision to withdraw its orders "due to the pressure from the Marathi people".
"If this march had taken place, it would have been so massive that it would have reminded us of the United Maharashtra Movement. Perhaps the government got intimidated by this unity, but that’s fine—this fear is necessary," he said.
He congratulated the people of Maharashtra on the development, saying that they must learn from this incident to stay united. He alleged that the government was targeting the "existence and language" of Marathis, but stepped back since "the collective anger of Marathi hearts was visible".