Preparations are underway for a joint march against the alleged imposition of the Hindi language in Maharashtra, scheduled to take place on July 5 in Mumbai. The protest was formally announced by MNS President Raj Thackeray at a recent press conference, where he criticized attempts to dilute the prominence of Marathi in administrative and cultural spaces.
In light of this upcoming event, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has reached out to various cultural and festival committees in Mumbai—such as Ganesh Mandals, Navratri Utsav Mandals, and Dahi Handi squads—urging them to actively participate in the protest.
With just days to go, both the MNS and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) have assigned key responsibilities for the organization and coordination of the march.
From the MNS side, the leadership and planning duties have been entrusted to senior party leaders Bala Nandgaonkar, Nitin Sardesai, and Sandeep Deshpande.
Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has appointed Sanjay Raut and Varun Sardesai to spearhead their party’s participation in the protest.
The parties are also calling on a broad spectrum of society—including political leaders, artists, writers, and common citizens—to join the march in defense of regional language rights and Marathi cultural identity.