Not Against Any Language; Maharashtra Accepts People From All States: Aaditya Thackeray At News18 Townhall
Addressing the thorny issue of recent violence allegedly associated with his party and the MNS over the language row, Thackeray labelled such incidents as 'sporadic'
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray delivered a nuanced and politically charged address on the ongoing Marathi language row at the CNN-News18 Townhall 2025 in Mumbai on Wednesday, offering what appeared to be a strategic repositioning of his party's stance. Thackeray was keen to shed the image of linguistic nativism, stating unequivocally that his party is 'not against any language" and that Maharashtra, as a state, 'accepts people from all the states".
The core of his critique was directed at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which he accused of overreaching with its language policies. Specifically, he highlighted a perceived attempt by the BJP to 'impose third language as Hindi on class 3rd students".
Addressing the thorny issue of recent violence allegedly associated with his party and the MNS over the language row, Thackeray labelled such incidents as 'sporadic". He attributed the root cause of these tensions to a fundamental lack of respect for 'local culture, local language, and local heroes".
Aaditya Thackeray also sought to define the ideological battleground between his Shiv Sena faction and the BJP. He posed a rhetorical question about why only the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS were typically involved in these disputes. The answer, in his view, was simple: 'because you feel for the state", a sentiment he suggested was absent in the BJP.
view comments
First Published:
August 13, 2025, 17:29 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 minutes ago
- Business Standard
EC notice to NDA MP, her MLC husband for possessing two voter cards
The Election Commission on Thursday served notices to LJP (Ram Vilas) MP from Bihar's Vaishali Veena Devi and her husband Dinesh Singh, a JD(U) MLC, for allegedly possessing two voter ID cards each, an official said. The EC's action came hours after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the couple possessed two voter ID cards each. "The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for Muzaffarpur assembly constituency has sent notices to the MP and her husband asking them to submit their replies to the EC over the issue of possessing two voter ID cards by August 16," the official said. Yadav, the leader of opposition in the assembly, shared purported screenshots of draft electoral rolls published following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), claiming that the NDA MP and the MLC have two voter cards each. "Is it not a case of fraud, manipulation, and collusion by the Election Commission to ensure a victory for BJP-NDA?" he asked. Speaking to reporters, Veena Devi claimed, "I don't know how my name has appeared in the electoral rolls of the Muzaffarpur assembly seat. I am a registered voter of the Sahebganj assembly seat only. I came to know about it through the press." Alleging that the anomaly has happened due to irregularities committed by election officials, she said she has submitted a form for deletion of her name from the rolls in Muzaffarpur. "Let Tejashwi Yadav say whatever he wants... Since he is in the opposition, he will say all such things against the leaders of the ruling parties," she said.
The Wire
5 minutes ago
- The Wire
Fatehpur Mausoleum Case: No Arrest Over Vandalism Yet; Locals Barred From Talking to Outsiders
New Delhi: While the police were yet to arrest anyone in connection with the vandalism of a mausoleum in Fatehpur's Abu Nagar locality, a one-kilometre radius has been cordoned off with barricades around the site to prevent any further communal flare-up. On Tuesday (August 13), police booked more than 150 people, 10 of them named, for damaging public property and disturbing the peace, according to news agency PTI. The 10 named in the FIR are Dharmendra Singh (Bajrang Dal), Abhishek Shukla (BJP), Ajay Singh (district panchayat member), Devnath Dhakad (BJP), Vinay Tiwari (municipal councillor), Pushpraj Patel, Rithik Pal (BJP), Prasoon Tiwari (BJP), Ashish Trivedi and Pappu Chauhan (Samajwadi Party). Meanwhile, locals have been barred from talking to outsiders and media entry has been banned. Police in plainclothes are roaming areas near the mausoleum, interacting with locals and monitoring the activities. On August 11, a violent confrontation erupted in Fatehpur, after a mob from various Hindutva bodies stormed a centuries-old mausoleum in Abu Nagar, hoisted saffron flags on it, performed Hindu rituals inside and vandalised graves in the presence of security forces. It was followed by stone-pelting and clashes with members of the Muslim community, triggering a political outcry and raising questions about law enforcement in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh. According to the PTI report, while the vandals are yet to be arrested, police have arrested the Congress city president, Arif alias Gudda, and his several supporters, for holding a protest demanding the arrest of the vandals. Meanwhile, the party's district president, Mahesh Dwivedi was placed under house arrest when a party delegation comprising two former MLAs planned to visit the site. Dwivedi called the police action 'dictatorial' and accused the administration of acting as a 'silent spectator' while the vandalism had happened. Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Uttam Patel said he had sent a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah, demanding an investigation by an independent agency into the matter.
The Hindu
5 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Binoy Viswam calls for Supreme Court-monitored probe into voter list discrepancy in Thrissur
Communist Party of India (CPI) Kerala secretary Binoy Viswam has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial probe into the alleged large-scale manipulation of the voter list in Thrissur carried out under the influence of the BJP. Addressing a press conference in Thrissur on Thursday, Mr. Viswam accused Union Minister Suresh Gopi of playing a central role in the alleged tampering of voters' list the and questioned the latter's 'stone-like silence' on the matter. 'This silence speaks volumes. It shows that it was under his initiative that the voter list was manipulated in Thrissur. Earlier, he would rush to comment on every issue. But now, even with such a grave matter at hand, he remains mute,' Mr. Viswam said. According to him, the voter list, which he described as 'the Bible, Quran, and Gita of the election process' has been desecrated. 'From Maharashtra to Karnataka to Thrissur, the story is the same. Thrissur has now been turned into another venue for the murder of democracy,' he charged. He said the credibility of elections across the country has 'hit rock bottom' as electoral malpractices continue to emerge. 'This voter list fraud is not accidental. It it is a serious political conspiracy that exposes the anti-democratic face of the BJP-RSS,' he said. He cited the example of Bihar, where voters were allegedly removed based on religion, targeting Muslims, Adivasis, and Christians. 'In Thrissur, however, Christian votes were not deleted. Instead, fake voters were added. Mr. Gopi must reveal where these fictitious voters have now gone, who brought them here, and who funded the operation,' he said. Mr. Viswam also criticised sections of the Christian clergy for their 'political naivety.' 'When the wolf in sheep's clothing arrived, they thought it was a lamb and gave it everything it asked for. Those dazzled by gold crowns and sweet cake must read Vicharadhara carefully, especially the parts about recognising your enemies,' he said. Announcing the next phase of protests, Mr. Viswam said the CPI would organise a massive march in Thrissur city on August 16 against the alleged voter list tampering. CPI national executive member K.P. Rajendran, district secretary K.G. Sivanandan, and State council members V.S. Sunilkumar and K.K. Valsaraj also attended the press conference.
