Raj and Uddhav Thackeray Reunite, UBT Vows Unity

MUMBAI: In an indication that the coming together of the estranged Thackeray cousins could go beyond the agitation against the govt resolutions on introducing Hindi from Class 1 in state schools and lead to a political tie-up for the coming civic elections, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray held a joint ‘victory rally’ to celebrate the state govt’s withdrawal of its move. Sharing a common platform after a gap of nearly two decades, the two made categorical statements about their “unity”: while Uddhav said “we have come together to stay together”, Raj said bringing him and Uddhav together was something Balasaheb (Thackeray) and many others couldn’t do, but it was accomplished by CM Devendra Fadnavis (through the third-language policy).Raj had resigned from all posts in the Shiv Sena in Nov 2005 and formed his own party, MNS, in 2006. Before that, Uddhav had been anointed working president of the Sena in 2003, an announcement that was made at a party conclave by Raj himself. A reconciliation between the two had appeared unlikely until recently when they spoke in one voice against the third-language policy and announced a joint morcha, which was turned into a ‘victory rally’ after the state govt scrapped its policy.On Saturday, Uddhav said until now BJP had adopted a “use and throw policy”, but the two of them “have come together to throw out BJP.”

At the NSCI Dome, the venue for the Thackeray cousins’ joint rally on Saturday that they had termed as “non-political”, the arrival of the two on dais was aimed at political spectacle: they entered in the dark from opposite directions with spotlights focused on them and hugged each other; then, looking at the packed gathering, they greeted it with raised hands before proceeding to address functionaries and supporters of both Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS.

Part of the crowd, in the front row, were cousins Aaditya and Amit Thackeray.The dais had only two chairs, for Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, and signalling camaraderie again, Raj, who spoke before Uddhav, referred to his elder cousin as “honourable,” while Uddhav said people know about Raj’s deeds and achievements and referred to him too with the prefix “honourable.”“Anaji Pant [a minister in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s reign but here an indirect reference to Fadnavis] reduced the distance between us.

Personally, I think our appearance together is more important than our speeches,” Uddhav said.Referring to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ statement that hooliganism in the name of Marathi will not be tolerated, Uddhav Thackeray said, “If injustice is being done to Marathi and a Marathi manoos is being called a goon for fighting against that injustice, then we are goons.”Raj warned the state govt on the language issue, saying, “The govt may rule in Vidhan Bhavan, but we rule the streets.”“Although the government has withdrawn the decision to make Hindi compulsory, we all need to be careful. I have no idea what will happen in the future. However, I think that our unity for Marathi should remain. I express my hope, expectation and desire that Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream will be realized once again in Maharashtra,” he said.Raj said that Hindi is a 200-year-old language but the govt tried to impose it as a first step to see if Mumbai can be broken away from Maharashtra.

“They should dare and touch Mumbai and try to break it away by laying hands on it. Just because we are peaceful doesn’t mean we are impotent,” he said. Addressing his supporters, he said, “Today you come together as Marathi. Now they will try to divide you on the basis of caste to avoid you staying together.

“Raj also advised his supporters not to assault anyone without provocation, but to “slap” someone if they provoke but not to take a video of the attack.Uddhav called BJP “a factory of rumours” and said, “Every time something happens, they start fights. Will we (Uddhav and Raj) come together, will we stay together till the elections? Some say we are coming together for the municipal corporation (elections). But not just for the municipal corporation, we are coming together for Maharashtra. We will capture our power.”Referring to deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s ‘Jai Gujarat’ slogan at an event in Union home minister Amit Shah’s presence in Pune, Uddhav said, “How helpless are you? The one who gives the slogan ‘Jai Gujarat’ cannot be a follower of Balasaheb Thackeray.

Can the one who does not oppose imposition of Hindi language be a follower of Balasaheb? Can the one who says ‘Jai Gujarat’ in front of his master be a follower of Balasaheb’s thoughts? So open your eyes now and see carefully.

.. Because if you do not, there will never be a time to open them again, they will be closed forever.” Shinde had said ‘Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra’, and then ‘Jai Gujarat’ at the function in Pune.Top netas of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) like NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and state Congress chief Harshawardhan Sakpal did not attend the rally.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and MLA Jitendra Awhad and Congress’s Bhalchandra Mungekar were present along with netas from other parties like Peasants and Workers Party’s (PWP) Jayant Patil, Communist Party of India’s (CPI) Prakash Reddy and Rashtriya Samaj Party’s (RSP) Mahadev Jankar.

All of them sat in the audience including Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut till they were called on to the dais at the end of the rally.After the rally, the Thackerays posed for a family photo, with Uddhav’s wife Rashmi and Raj’s wife Sharmila coming on to the dais. Aaditya and Amit Thackeray also arrived on stage and held hands. Supriya Sule got Aaditya and Amit on to the dais and made them stand next to Raj and Uddhav.