Shiv Sena Clarifies Stance on Hindi Language Amid Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Remarks
Clarification from Shiv Sena
On Sunday, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) distanced itself from comments made by Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister MK Stalin regarding the fight against what he termed 'Hindi imposition.' The party emphasized that it does not oppose the Hindi language.
Uddhav Sena MP Sanjay Raut stated, “We cannot accept the strict enforcement of Hindi in primary education.” He clarified that their struggle is specifically focused on this issue.
Raut further explained that while southern states have taken a firm stance against Hindi, declaring they will neither speak it nor permit its use, this does not reflect Maharashtra's position. “We communicate in Hindi... We have not prohibited anyone from using Hindi, as we enjoy Hindi films, theatre, and music,” he added.
Stalin's remarks followed a 'victory rally' in Mumbai led by Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray, celebrating the Maharashtra government's decision to retract its policy mandating Hindi as a third language in primary schools.
The revised order allows students to opt out of Hindi if at least 20 students per grade express interest in learning another Indian language. In such cases, the school will either appoint a teacher or provide online instruction.
After facing backlash, the government rescinded the three-language policy on June 29.
Stalin claimed that the BJP-led Maharashtra government withdrew the policy due to fears of a public uprising.
In response, Raut remarked, “Stalin congratulated us on this achievement and expressed a desire to learn from it. We wish him well.” He reiterated that their fight is solely against the imposition of Hindi in primary education.
#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "The Southern states have been fighting for this issue for years. Their stand against the imposition of Hindi means they will not speak Hindi and neither let anyone speak Hindi. But that is not our stand in… pic.twitter.com/w5tD80bRYP
— Media Channel (@MediaChannel) July 6, 2025
Controversy Over Language and Violence
‘If not in Maharashtra, where else Marathi’
Raut also condemned Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar for his comments equating recent assaults on non-Marathi speakers in the state to the terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which resulted in 26 fatalities.
“If individuals advocate for any language, Ashish Shelar likens them to terrorists from Pahalgam,” Raut stated. “This is inappropriate and reflects the BJP's mindset.”
He questioned, “If not in Maharashtra, where else would the Marathi language exist? In Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Nepal?”
Shelar had remarked that tourists in Pahalgam were targeted due to their Hindu identity, drawing a parallel to language-based assaults occurring in Maharashtra.
“In Pahalgam, individuals were killed because of their religion,” Shelar said during a press conference in Mumbai. “In Maharashtra, Hindus are being attacked solely based on the language they speak. What is the difference?”
Shelar's comments followed an incident where seven unidentified individuals, believed to be associated with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, assaulted a shopkeeper in Thane for not speaking Marathi.
Additionally, party members vandalized the Mumbai office of entrepreneur Sushil Kedia after he shared on social media that he had lived in the city for 30 years without mastering Marathi.