Raj Thackeray warns of shutting down schools if Hindi is imposed from Class 1

Thane: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday issued a strong warning to the state government, declaring that his party would “not hesitate to shut down schools” if Hindi is made compulsory from Classes 1 to 5 in Maharashtra.

Speaking at a rally in Mira Bhayandar, Thackeray directly addressed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging him to reconsider any such move. He also called on the people of Maharashtra to remain vigilant and oppose any attempts to impose Hindi over Marathi.

The BJP-led government recently retracted two orders that had made Hindi mandatory in primary schools after facing widespread opposition. However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis affirmed on Thursday that the government remains committed to implementing the three-language formula. He added that the decision on whether Hindi should be introduced from Class 1 or Class 5 will be finalised based on recommendations from a committee appointed to review the matter.

In his speech, Raj Thackeray said, "When they tried it once, we had shut down shops, and now we will not hesitate to shut down schools if Hindi is imposed (from Class 1 to 5).”

It was unfortunate that the chief minister of Maharashtra was striving to make Hindi compulsory, the MNS chief added.

"By imposing Hindi, the government was testing the people's response as it eventually wanted to attach Mumbai to Gujarat… Hindi was just "200 years old" while Marathi has a history of 2,500-3,000 years. When migrants from Bihar were beaten up and driven away in Gujarat, it did not become an issue, but a minor incident in Maharashtra became a national issue,” Thackeray alleged.

He also came down heavily on BJP MP Nishikant Dubey over his reported "patak patak ke marenge" remark, daring him to come to Mumbai. "Dube-dube ke marenge," Thackeray said.