Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said that the state government was forced to roll back its decision to introduce Hindi alongside Marathi and English from Classes 1 to 5 due to strong opposition from Marathi-speaking people. Hindi cannot be forced on us anymore. The power of the Marathi Manoos made the government withdraw its decision, Thackeray said.
Speaking during the Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra legislature, Thackeray announced a victory rally on July 5, replacing the earlier planned protest. The joint morcha is cancelled, but we will celebrate this unity and success, he said. He praised all political parties and citizens who set aside differences to protect the mother tongue.
He criticised the appointment of economist Narendra Jadhav to head the newly formed education committee, saying, This is a language issue, not an economic one. But now that the government has withdrawn the circular, the coercion is over.
Thackeray said slogans of Jai Maharashtra echoed across villages once again, thanks to the collective spirit of the Marathi people. He warned the government not to misjudge this unity and credited the movement for forcing the government to retreat.
He also accused the BJP of trying to divide Marathi voters by creating a language issue, but praised the people for staying united and opposing only the forceful imposition of Hindi, not the language itself.
