Mumbai: What Balasaheb Couldn’t, Devendra Fadnavis Managed: Raj Thackeray

Mumbai, 5th July 2025: For the cause of the Marathi language, Thackeray cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray reunited for a political cause and shared the same stage after two decades. While speaking at a joint rally of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) during their Vijayi Melava at Worli, Raj Thackeray remarked, “What Balasaheb Thackeray couldn’t do, Devendra Fadnavis managed, bringing the two cousins together.”

Speaking first, Raj Thackeray said, “Today, the planned march should have taken place. The unity of the Marathi manus would have been seen on a massive scale. Just the discussion around the march was enough to make the government back off. This gathering should have happened at Shivtirth (Shivaji Park, Dadar), but the ground would have overflowed with people. Due to the rains, we shifted to a covered venue, and even this is incomplete. There are people waiting outside. I apologise to them because they couldn’t come in.

Raj Thackeray continued saying, “In one interview, I said that more important than any argument or disagreement is Maharashtra and the Marathi manus. Different discussions started across the state. But one truth remains, what Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray couldn’t do, Devendra Fadnavis managed to do: he brought the two of us together.”