Once-estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray reunited on Saturday, sharing a stage for the first time in nearly two decades to celebrate the Maharashtra government’s reversal of a controversial plan to introduce Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in state schools.

Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), took a jab at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, crediting him, ironically, with reuniting the Thackerays. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray signalled the reunion could be more than symbolic, declaring the brothers had come together to "stay together" -- a remark that hinted at a possible political alliance.

Addressing the "victory" rally, Raj said: "I had said in one of my interviews that my Maharashtra is bigger than any politics and fight. Today, after 20 years, Uddhav and I have come together. What Balasaheb could not do, Devendra Fadnavis did it... the work of bringing both of us together."

He added that the government had reversed the three-language formula due to the strong unity shown by Marathi people, claiming it was a precursor to a plan of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra.

"I don’t have anything against Hindi, no language is bad. It takes a lot of effort to build a language. We Marathi people ruled over a lot of states during the Maratha Empire, but we never enforced Marathi on those parts. They started with the experiment of imposing Hindi over us and were trying to test if we would not have opposed it, they would have gone up to making Mumbai separate from Maharashtra," he said.

“What was the need for Hindi? The three-language formula was only for Centre-state coordination. Even the NEP [National Education Policy] does not mandate it. They experimented in Maharashtra because the southern states do not listen to them,” he further said.

Raj also questioned the logic behind the imposition of Hindi in schools and claimed that Hindi-speaking states are economically backward.

“Which states have Hindi as an official language? In courts, English is used. Why do we need Hindi in Maharashtra?” he asked.

“Look at the irony — the Hindi-speaking states are economically backward, and the non-Hindi-speaking states are forward. And these people want us to learn Hindi. Why? For what? I am not against Hindi. But why impose it by attacking the regional language?” he said.

“This is not about language. It is about power and control. If the BJP can succeed in weakening Marathi here, they believe they can isolate Mumbai from the state,” he reiterated.

Responding to criticism from leaders of the BJP and Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena on children of both the Thackeray's studying in English-medium schools, Raj said, “Balasaheb Thackeray studied in English medium but never compromised on Marathi issues. Shrikant Thackeray, my grandfather, studied in English. Can you question his commitment to Marathi?” 

Addressing the gathering, Udhav Thackeray said the brothers have come together to "stay together."

“This is not just about politics—this is about Marathi,” he said.

Thousands of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS supporters marched to the venue of the joint rally, titled ‘Awaj Marathicha’, marking the cousins’ first joint appearance in nearly 20 years.

The cousins, who have been vocal about the cause of Marathi language and identity, last shared a stage in 2005. Raj Thackeray quit the Shiv Sena that year and launched the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in 2006.

Amid heavy crowds, hundreds of workers forced their way into the NSCI Dome campus in Worli. "Supporters of both parties forcefully entered the venue by breaking down the main gate. Police later shut the gate again to avoid the repeat of the incident. A posse of police personnel has been deployed at the spot," an official said, adding that additional barricades had been installed.

LED screens were set up across Mumbai and the MMR region for public viewing. In Worli, the constituency of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, several hoardings featuring both Raj and Uddhav lined the streets. Posters appealing for unity between the cousins "for the cause of the Marathi manoos" were also put up by both parties’ workers.

An electrifying atmosphere prevailed inside the packed NSCI Dome, where supporters cheered the show of strength by the two parties.

The Congress, an ally of Shiv Sena (UBT), chose not to participate in the event. State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said the party supported the protest against making Hindi "mandatory" for students of Classes 1 to 5, but would not attend the rally. NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar also opted out, citing prior commitments.