Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has issued a stark warning to the Maharashtra government regarding the imposition of Hindi in schools. Speaking at a rally in Mira Bhayandar on Friday, July 18, 2025, Thackeray declared that if Hindi is made mandatory for students in Classes 1 to 5, his party would "shut down schools".

Thackeray's remarks were directed at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who recently reiterated his commitment to implementing the three-language policy in state schools. While Fadnavis has stated that the third language would be optional and based on the recommendations of a committee, Thackeray remains skeptical and has urged the people of Maharashtra to stay alert and resist any attempts to impose Hindi.

This is not the first time the issue of Hindi imposition has sparked controversy in Maharashtra. Earlier this year, the state government had to withdraw two orders making Hindi mandatory in primary schools after facing strong opposition from various organizations and political parties, including the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT). The government then issued an amended order stating that Hindi would "generally" be the third language, but students could opt for another Indian language if at least 20 students in a class chose to do so. Critics, however, saw this as a "backdoor" attempt to impose Hindi.

Thackeray clarified that he is not against any language, but he opposes any form of compulsion. He argued that imposing Hindi would be an attack on Marathi identity and could lead to the erosion of regional languages. He emphasized that everyone living in Maharashtra should learn Marathi and use it in all public and private spaces. "I will never compromise on the Marathi person, the Marathi language, or the Marathi identity," he asserted.

The MNS chief also accused the government of pursuing a political agenda by promoting Hindi, alleging that it's a strategy to reshape the electoral map of the state by creating non-Marathi-dominated zones. He claimed that migrants are being deliberately settled in certain constituencies to create voter blocs that would eventually elect their own representatives, marginalizing the "sons of the soil".

Thackeray also addressed the central government's neglect of Marathi, pointing out that despite Marathi having a 2,500-3,000 year history, it has not been granted classical language status, while Hindi, with a shorter literary history, is being promoted.

In a direct response to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's provocative remarks against Marathi speakers, Thackeray issued a strong warning, saying, "Dubey, come to Mumbai if you dare. We will drown you in the sea". He affirmed MNS's commitment to Hindutva but stated they would never tolerate the forced dominance of Hindi in Maharashtra.