Raj Thackeray spoke for Marathi, Uddhav for power: Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said Raj Thackeray spoke in Marathi's interests but Uddhav Thackeray showed his desperation for power at the cousins' rally to celebrate the government's retreat on the issue of teaching Hindi in schools.

Minister Uday Samant, who belongs to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, similarly sought to distinguish between the two cousins, slamming only Uddhav who leads the rival Shiv Sena (UBT).

Earlier in the day, the hitherto estranged Thackeray cousins shared public stage after two decades at a victory rally in Mumbai to celebrate the withdrawal of two government resolutions seeking to introduce Hindi as a third language from Class 1 in state schools.

Talking to reporters, Shinde, without naming Uddhav Thackeray, said his desperation for power and jealousy were on display at the rally, and he should answer why the Marathi manoos (native Marathi speakers) were driven out of Mumbai in all these years.

"One expressed desire for the good of Marathi, the other spewed bile for power. Some people had said (before the rally) that there will be no party flag in the victory celebration. One speaker (Raj) followed it, the other (Uddhav) conveyed his agenda. This is the difference," Shinde said.

Shinde, who rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray and split the Shiv Sena in June 2022, noted that the song 'Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha' which was played at the start of the rally was given recognition as the `state song' when he was chief minister.

Also, it was during his tenure that the Centre granted the classical language status to Marathi, he said.

Uddhav Thackeray was making a desperate attempt to improve his prospects with another person's (Raj) help, Shinde said, adding that it was Uddhav who, as chief minister, accepted the R A Mashelkar committee report which recommended that Hindi be made mandatory in state schools.

The present government removed the word mandatory, Shinde said.

Notably, there was speculation in recent weeks about the Shinde-led Shiv Sena trying to woo Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for a tie-up for the coming civic elections in Mumbai.

Sena leader Uday Samant, who is the minister for Marathi language, echoed Shinde, stating that "one speech (by Raj) was for the good of Marathi and second (by Uddhav) was for achieving power in Mumbai."

"People have seen that the second speech was for power," Samant said.