Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has welcomed the reunion of the Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, and asserted that the BJP's push for Hindi has sparked a "storm of protest". Stalin, a vocal critic of the BJP's language policies, has been leading the charge against what he perceives as "Hindi imposition" through the National Education Policy (NEP).

The reunion of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray occurred at a public rally in Mumbai, titled 'Awaj Marathicha' (Voice of the Marathi), jointly organized by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). This marked the first time since 2005 that the estranged leaders shared a stage. After a political separation of two decades, the cousins came together July 5, 2025.

Stalin has criticized the central government for allegedly prioritizing the promotion of Hindi and Sanskrit. He also slammed the Centre for "withholding Rs 2,152 crore in funds under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan" and questioned what languages are being taught as a third language in Hindi belt schools. According to Stalin, the BJP has been acting "unlawfully and anarchically" by declaring that funds will only be allocated if Hindi is taught as a third language in Tamil Nadu's schools. He believes that the BJP has been forced to retreat for the second time in Maharashtra, where it governs, "out of fear of the people's uprising".

Stalin has long been a staunch opponent of what he describes as Hindi imposition. He has argued that Tamil Nadu's resistance is about protecting linguistic identity rather than opposing multilingualism. In March 2025, Stalin questioned why the Union government had not facilitated the establishment of an institution to teach Tamil or other South Indian languages to people in North India. He suggested that technology like Google Translate and ChatGPT can help overcome language barriers, and imposing a language would only burden students.

Stalin has also accused the BJP of bias against Tamil Nadu, particularly in education. He criticized the NEP, calling it a "saffron policy" that would create barriers for students in Tamil Nadu. He also questioned the Prime Minister on whether he was treating all states fairly.

In light of these issues, Stalin announced he had written to the Chief Ministers of several states regarding the delimitation issue and that a meeting would be held on March 22. He declared that the fight against the BJP's policies was crucial, stating, "If we don't stop this now, we never can. We can save India only then".