Marathi Language Controversy: ‘Did I Pass a GR Against Brotherhood?’ Devendra Fadnavis Hits Back at Uddhav & Raj Thackeray

The Maharashtra government has officially cancelled the Government Resolutions (GRs) mandating the compulsory teaching of Hindi from Class 1 in schools across the state. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during a press conference held on the eve of the state assembly session. The controversial GR had sparked widespread backlash, particularly from the opposition. Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, along with his brother and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief, Raj Thackeray, had planned a protest march against the decision. However, following the rollback, the Thackeray brothers called off the march and instead declared that they would now organize a "victory march." In his press briefing, Uddhav Thackeray fiercely criticized the Fadnavis-led government for what he termed as double standards. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also took a jibe at the ruling party, asking rhetorically, “Why does it hurt when two brothers come together?”

Responding to the accusations, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hit back, revealing that the initial recommendation to make Hindi mandatory was made during Uddhav Thackeray's tenure as Chief Minister. “A leader considered to be Thackeray’s right-hand man had proposed making Hindi compulsory from Class 1 to 12. That report was accepted by the Thackeray cabinet,” Fadnavis said. “Later, as usual, they made a U-turn. The decision to promote Hindi was made during their own government’s tenure. This is pure hypocrisy - one face for power, another for opposition.”

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Fadnavis further mocked the controversy surrounding the unity of the Thackeray brothers. “Did I ever pass a GR stopping them from uniting? Let them come together, play cricket, eat meals - it doesn’t make any difference to us,” he said.

Amid the political back-and-forth, Fadnavis reaffirmed that the government’s primary focus remains the welfare of students. “We are not here to serve any political party’s interests. A committee has been formed to evaluate whether to adopt the three-language formula in schools. The final decision will be based solely on the educational interests of students in Maharashtra,” he stated.

The cancellation of the Hindi mandate marks a significant policy reversal by the state government and has reignited debates around language imposition, political opportunism, and education reforms in Maharashtra.