Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray has announced a change in the date of the party’s proposed protest march against the imposition of Hindi in the state. Initially scheduled for July 6, the march will now take place a day earlier, on Saturday, July 5, at 10 a.m., from Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai.
The rescheduling comes in light of Ashadhi Ekadashi, a significant religious observance falling on July 6. Thackeray emphasized that while the date has changed, the time, location, and purpose of the march remain the same.
In an official post shared via social media, Raj Thackeray stated:
“Sasneh Jai Maharashtra, this morning we announced a march for our Marathi language, for Maharashtra, and for the Marathi people on July 6. There is a slight change — the march will now be held on Saturday, July 5 at 10 a.m. instead of Sunday, July 6. All other details remain unchanged. We request the media and people of Maharashtra to take note of this update. Yours sincerely, Raj Thackeray.”
The MNS has called this march in opposition to what it describes as the increasing imposition of Hindi in Maharashtra, particularly in the education system. Although the state’s school education department has not made Hindi mandatory from classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools, it had announced that students may choose another language as the third language if they wish to opt out of Hindi. Despite this provision, Thackeray has strongly opposed the central push for Hindi.
At a press conference earlier today, Raj Thackeray criticized the growing influence of “Hindi-shakti” and reiterated his party’s long-standing stance on preserving and prioritizing the Marathi language and identity. He urged all political parties, social organizations, and citizens to join the march as a collective stand for Maharashtra’s linguistic and cultural integrity.
With rising tensions around linguistic identity in the state, this MNS-led agitation is expected to draw widespread attention and participation.
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