The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) came together on Tuesday to issue a joint invitation for a rally on July 5 in Mumbai, celebrating what they are calling ‘Marathi Vijay Diwas’.
The event is being held to celebrate the Maharashtra government’s rollback of a contentious three-language school policy, which had drawn sharp criticism, particularly over the proposed introduction of Hindi from Class 1 to 5.
The invitation, titled ‘Marathicha Awaaz’ (The Voice of Marathi), makes no mention of party affiliations, logos, or flags, but only contains a graphic image of the state of Maharashtra.
The invitation names cousins and political leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray as hosts of the event, signalling a rare moment since the two drifted apart nearly two decades ago.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut confirmed that both Uddhav and Raj will be present at the event, marking their first joint public appearance at a political function in nearly two decades.
Protest Rally Turns Into Celebration
Originally conceived as a protest against the now-scrapped government resolutions (GRs) on the three-language policy, the event evolved into a celebration of the Marathi identity and community’s influence after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a u-turn on the orders’ implemetation.
Uddhav Thackeray, while acknowledging the state’s policy reversal, noted that July 5 programme will be held to celebrate the “unity of the Marathi manoos”.
The rally invitation has been addressed to “Marathi sisters and brothers”, and describes the rally as a celebration of the Marathi pride and unity. “Did we make the government bow down? Yes! This celebration will be yours and we were merely fighting on behalf of you,” the message on the invitation read.
The rally, which will be held at the NSCI Dome in Worli at 10:00 AM, is being seen not just as a cultural celebration but also a potential political milestone. With civic polls to be held soon in Maharashtra, the coming together of the two Thackerays is also fueling buzz of a possible alliance between their parties.
Preparations for the event are underway at full pace. On the Shiv Sena (UBT) side, Sanjay Raut, Anil Parab, and Varun Sardesai are spearheading the planning. For the MNS, key leaders including Bala Nandgaonkar, Abhijit Panse, Sandeep Deshpande, and Nitin Sardesai have been assigned the responsibility to oragnise the event.
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