'For Marathi manoos, we remain united': Thackeray brothers

Mumbai: Thousands of MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers marched enthusiastically to the venue of the joint rally organised by cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray on Saturday, sharing the public platform for the first time after nearly 20 years.

Amid a heavy rush, hundreds of workers forced their way inside the NSCI Dome campus in Worli to listen to the Thackeray brothers.

“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 police have installed additional barricades at the spot.

After two decades, the estranged Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — are sharing the public stage and hosting a victory gathering, titled ‘Awaj Marathicha’ to celebrate the rollback of two GRs issued earlier by the government introducing Hindi as a third language from class 1 in state schools.

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Both parties have pulled out all the stops to put up a strong show of strength. LED screens are being installed in various areas of Mumbai and MMR.

In Worli, the constituency of Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, several hoardings featuring Raj and Uddhav dotted the skyline. Leaders of Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have put up banners at several places, appeaing to the two brothers to remain united forever for the cause of the Marathi manoos.

An equally electrifying atmosphere prevailed inside the packed NSCI Dome.

The Congress, an ally of the Sena (UBT), will not be a part of the victory celebration, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said, but maintained his party supports the protest against making Hindi “mandatory” for students of Classes 1-5.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, who is allied with the Congress and the Sena (UBT) under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) banner, told reporters in Pune on Thursday that he will not attend the event due to prior commitments.

NCP (SP) state president Jayant Patil told PTI that his party’s working president Supriya Sule, party MLA Jitendra Awhad or either of them will attend the celebration. He said MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar had called him to invite the NCP (SP) for the event.

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