'Their soul is stuck in BMC's coffers': Mahayuti minister on reunion of cousins Raj, Uddhav Thackeray after 20 years
While voters and analysts observed the event with awe and wonder, Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik was certain of what was up with the estranged Thackeray cousins' reunion.
- Jul 7, 2025,
- Updated Jul 7, 2025 10:32 AM IST
In a mega event of sorts, estranged cousins — Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) boss Uddhav Thackeray — reunited after 20 years during a 'victory rally' in Mumbai to celebrate the Mahayuti government's rollback of two GRs introducing Hindi as a 3rd language in primary schools.
In a letter to Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik commented on the estranged Thackeray cousins' reunion. He said that the reunion was not for the love of Marathi but to win the upcoming Mumbai civic body polls, adding that Marathi language will be taught to those who wish to learn at the Shiv Sena shakhas.
Sarnaik added that the Thackeray cousins are only interested in the money minting machine that is BMC. The Shiv Sena MLA added that during the 25 years the erstwhile undivided Shiv Sena controlled the BMC, Marathi manoos was driven out of the hotel industry, real estate, as well as gold and silver jewellery shops.
"People are wise enough to know that they (Sena UBT and MNS) have come to win power in the BMC. Their (Sena UBT's) soul is stuck in the BMC's coffers. The politics of Sena (UBT) has been very selfish, fake and treacherous. Which is why their colleagues are abandoning the party," Sarnaik said.
He also called out both parties for failing to save Marathi schools despite doing politics in the name of the language. "The MNS and the Sena (UBT) keep saying that they have come together in the interest of Marathi. So, for whose interest did they separate years ago? There is no love for Marathi, its culture and language, and Marathi manoos."
Sarnaik also flagged how Marathi people were forced to move out of Mumbai to suburbs such as Badlapur, Nalasopara, and Virar, while adding Raj Thackeray's speeches do not translate into votes.
But is the reunion even meant to last? A day after Uddhav and Raj shared the stage, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut attacked the MNS chief in his weekly column 'Rokthok'. Raut questioned MNS' political direction and accused Raj Thackeray of hobnobbing with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde faction at a critical time for the Shiv Sena.
"Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's paths in politics went in opposite directions. After the split caused by [Amit] Shah, Shiv Sena joined the Maha Vikas Aghadi along with the Congress and NCP. Raj Thackeray kept having tea with the BJP, Shinde group, etc. He even went to Delhi once to meet Amit Shah, but it did not benefit Maharashtra and the political path of MNS did not move forward," Raut wrote in his column.
He further claimed that the division between the cousins was in the interest of "Delhi and the business politics here" and that it served the strategy of dividing Marathi voters.
(With PTI, India Today inputs)
In a mega event of sorts, estranged cousins — Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) boss Uddhav Thackeray — reunited after 20 years during a 'victory rally' in Mumbai to celebrate the Mahayuti government's rollback of two GRs introducing Hindi as a 3rd language in primary schools.
In a letter to Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik commented on the estranged Thackeray cousins' reunion. He said that the reunion was not for the love of Marathi but to win the upcoming Mumbai civic body polls, adding that Marathi language will be taught to those who wish to learn at the Shiv Sena shakhas.
Sarnaik added that the Thackeray cousins are only interested in the money minting machine that is BMC. The Shiv Sena MLA added that during the 25 years the erstwhile undivided Shiv Sena controlled the BMC, Marathi manoos was driven out of the hotel industry, real estate, as well as gold and silver jewellery shops.
"People are wise enough to know that they (Sena UBT and MNS) have come to win power in the BMC. Their (Sena UBT's) soul is stuck in the BMC's coffers. The politics of Sena (UBT) has been very selfish, fake and treacherous. Which is why their colleagues are abandoning the party," Sarnaik said.
He also called out both parties for failing to save Marathi schools despite doing politics in the name of the language. "The MNS and the Sena (UBT) keep saying that they have come together in the interest of Marathi. So, for whose interest did they separate years ago? There is no love for Marathi, its culture and language, and Marathi manoos."
Sarnaik also flagged how Marathi people were forced to move out of Mumbai to suburbs such as Badlapur, Nalasopara, and Virar, while adding Raj Thackeray's speeches do not translate into votes.
But is the reunion even meant to last? A day after Uddhav and Raj shared the stage, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut attacked the MNS chief in his weekly column 'Rokthok'. Raut questioned MNS' political direction and accused Raj Thackeray of hobnobbing with the BJP and the Eknath Shinde faction at a critical time for the Shiv Sena.
"Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's paths in politics went in opposite directions. After the split caused by [Amit] Shah, Shiv Sena joined the Maha Vikas Aghadi along with the Congress and NCP. Raj Thackeray kept having tea with the BJP, Shinde group, etc. He even went to Delhi once to meet Amit Shah, but it did not benefit Maharashtra and the political path of MNS did not move forward," Raut wrote in his column.
He further claimed that the division between the cousins was in the interest of "Delhi and the business politics here" and that it served the strategy of dividing Marathi voters.
(With PTI, India Today inputs)