Thackeray cousins share stage after 20 years
Mumbai, July 5 (UNI) Estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray on Saturday shared stage at NSIC Dome in Worli for the first time in nearly two decades for a joint 'victory rally' to celebrate the BJP-led Mahayuti government's rollback of two contentious government resolutions on the three-language policy in Maharashtra.
Called Marathi Vijay Diwas, the event is being organised by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Worli.
The rally marks a political victory for the two parties after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revoked two resolutions that had introduced Hindi as a third language in primary schools.
UNI AAA PRS
Tags: #Thackeray cousins share stage after 20 years
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
31 minutes ago
- Hans India
Suggest ways to overcome booth-wise vote margin deficit: Bengal BJP chief to affiliated organisations
Kolkata: Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya has directed its affiliated organisations to suggest strategies to overcome or minimise the booth-wise vote margin deficit with Trinamool Congress in the crucial Assembly elections scheduled next year. According to the BJP state committee, Bhattacharya is of the view that the role of the affiliated organisations will be equally crucial to that of the state party unit in overcoming or minimising the booth-wise vote margin deficit with Trinamool Congress. "Precisely that is why he had meetings with the representatives of the affiliated organisations on Friday evening. The party's central observers, Sunil Bansal and Mangal Pandey, were also present at the meeting. In that meeting, Bhattacharya directed the representatives of the different mass organisations to immediately start the process for calculating the booth-wise vote margin deficits and suggest strategies to overcome them," said the state committee member on Saturday. As of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the votes secured by the BJP were 23,327,349 against Trinamool Congress' 27,564,561, which meant the vote margin deficit was 42,37,212. Percentage-wise, the BJP secured 40.7 per cent as against Trinamool Congress's figure of 43.3 per cent. On the other hand, in 2024, the Congress-Left Front alliance secured 62,35,669 popular votes. "As per a rough internal calculation, considering that Muslim votes went to Trinamool Congress' kitty in 2024, the majority of 62 lakh votes that went in favour of the Congress-Left Front alliance were Hindu votes or votes from non-Muslim other religions. Now, if we can turn around and consolidate a large portion of these Hindu votes in our favour in 2026, the vote margin deficit of around 42 lakhs could be minimised to a great extent," said the state committee member. At the same time, efforts will be made to consolidate Hindu votes from non-Muslim other religions, which went to Trinamool Congress till the 2024 polls, into the BJP's fold, he said. Bhattacharya also admitted that the vote consolidation process, as aimed by the BJP, will be comparatively easier in the metro and urban pockets than in the rural belts.
Hindustan Times
39 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Hit below… Don't shoot video': Raj Thackeray to MNS workers amid Marathi row
After two decades of political estrangement, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray shared a stage in Mumbai in a rare display of unity amid the Marathi row in Maharashtra. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai.(PTI file) The event in Worli was called to celebrate the Maharashtra government's rollback of an order regarding the "imposition" of the Hindi language. Addressing the event, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray responded to the ongoing language row and criticism against his party workers. He told MNS workers "not to assault people for not speaking Marathi." Also Read: 'So what?': Raj Thackeray cites uncle Balasaheb's English medium school example amid Marathi pride debate The MNS leader, however, said if someone shows useless drama, 'you must hit below their eardrums'. "Be it Gujarati or anyone else here, must know Marathi, but there is no need to beat people for that if they don't speak Marathi. But if someone shows useless drama, you must hit below their eardrums," Raj Thackeray said. He also advised against recording the video of the incident, saying, "Let the person beaten up tell that he has been beaten up." "I tell you one more thing: if you beat someone, don't make a video of the incident. Let the person beaten up tell that he has been beaten up, you don't need to tell everyone that you have beaten someone," he added. The remark comes after the Maharashtra government in April this year implemented a three-language policy making Hindi mandatory as a third language in primary schools. The move drew huge backlash from the Opposition and language advocacy groups, following which it was revoked. Raj cites Balasaheb's English medium example Raj Thackeray also emphasised that there was no link between Marathi pride and an English-medium education. The MNS leader went on to cite the example of Dada Bhuse, who studied in Marathi schools and later became a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet. Also Read: 'Yes, we are goons… slap but don't make video' : Uddhav and Raj at Thackeray reunion rally over 'Marathi pride' "They say that our children have learnt in English medium schools. So what? Dada Bhuse studied in Marathi schools and became a minister. Devendra Fadnavis studied in an English-medium school and became the Maharashtra CM. So what?" he said. He went on to add that his father Shrikant Thackeray and uncle Balasaheb Thackeray also studied in English medium schools. "Can anyone raise a question about their love for Marathi? Tomorrow, I will learn Hebrew also. Will anyone raise a question about my pride in Marathi?" he asked. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said he and Raj have come together to stay united and to capture power in the Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra.
Hindustan Times
40 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Accused No 27: ‘Transported 50 kg gold' and more, what chargesheets against Nirav Modi's brother Nehal say
Born and raised in Belgium's Antwerp, Nehal Deepak Modi is a high-profile diamond merchant, a global citizen fluent in English, Gujarati and Hindi, and fugitive fraudster now arrested in the US on India's request. Nehal Modi, 46, is a Belgian citizen, seen here in an image from some years ago.(X/@SunilKu94764515) He is also Accused Number 27 in a chargesheet by India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that accuses him of destroying evidence to cover up a criminal conspiracy. At the core of this conspiracy is his brother Nirav Modi, who is in jail in the UK, and over ₹13,000 crore in fraudulent loans taken from the government-run Punjab National Bank (PNB). Also read: Who is Nehal Modi, arrested in US? His loan-and-pawn diamond fraud runs wide US authorities have arrested Nehal, 46, eight years younger to brother Nirav, on extradition pleas by India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), officials said on Saturday. His next hearing is on July 17, when he may seek bail, which is expected to be opposed by US prosecutors, officials said, according to news agency PTI. In the proceedings in the US, two charges are primary: of money laundering and criminal conspiracy. The investigation agencies say Nirav Modi had, through his companies, embezzled ₹6,498 crore from PNB, while the remaining amount was misappropriated by his uncle Mehul Choksi in a similar modus operandi. 'Forced directors to lie, relocate' Nehal laundered the proceeds of the crime on behalf of Nirav through a web of shell companies and offshore transactions, as per the ED. He transported 50 kg of gold and 'substantial' cash from Dubai, the chargesheet says. In a supplementary chargesheet submitted by the CBI, he is 'accused number 27' for destroying evidence in Dubai. The CBI says Nehal Modi intimidated directors of Dubai-based shell companies used by Nirav Modi to 'give a veneer of legitimacy' to a fraudulent trade, PTI has reported. These 'intimidated' people, employees of Nirav Modi's companies, were 'coerced' into relocating from Dubai to Cairo, during which their phones, laptops and computer servers were destroyed to erase evidence.
