Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has launched a sharp attack on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat over his recent remarks on language-based movements. Bhagwat had stated that stressing language identity and launching movements around it is “like a disease.”
Reacting strongly, Raj Thackeray took to social media platform X and posted a lengthy statement, accusing Bhagwat of insulting regional pride and questioning the RSS’s intentions. He even mocked the RSS event held in Mumbai, calling Bhagwat’s speech “dull and boring,” and claimed that attendees were present not out of respect but due to fear of the Modi government.
Raj Thackeray Calls Bhagwat’s Speech “Boring and Lifeless”
Referring to the RSS event held on February 8, 2026, at the Nehru Centre Auditorium in Worli, Raj Thackeray wrote that Bhagwat’s lecture was attended by several prominent personalities.
However, he alleged that the audience did not come out of admiration for Bhagwat, but because they were pressured by the political atmosphere.
“They did not attend because they love you. They came because they are afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Otherwise, who would attend such dry and boring sermons?”
Raj Thackeray wrote on X.
“This Language ‘Disease’ Exists Across India”
Raj Thackeray reminded Bhagwat that the reorganisation of Indian states itself was done on linguistic grounds, and questioned how love for one’s language and region can be called a disease.
He argued that linguistic pride is present in almost every Indian state—from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to Punjab, West Bengal, and Gujarat.
“If love for language and region is a disease, then it is spread across most of the country,”
he stated.
Thackeray Questions RSS Silence on Gujarat and Other States
Raising further questions, Raj Thackeray said Bhagwat has never attempted to deliver such “lessons of harmony” in other states where similar linguistic tensions have emerged.
He specifically referred to Gujarat, asking why Bhagwat did not intervene when migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were reportedly driven out.
“If this is a disease, it exists in Gujarat too. When thousands were removed from Gujarat, why didn’t you go there to teach harmony?”
Thackeray questioned.
He also asked why Bhagwat did not raise such concerns in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, or West Bengal.
Reference to Bhaiyyaji Joshi’s Gujarati Remark
Raj Thackeray also mentioned an earlier controversy involving senior RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi, who had allegedly claimed that Mumbai’s language is not only Marathi but also Gujarati.
According to Thackeray, such remarks were aimed at appeasing Gujarati-speaking voters and indirectly benefiting the BJP.
He further questioned why the RSS—despite calling itself a non-political organisation—keeps interfering in political and social matters.
“Don’t Force Hindutva Into Everything”
Thackeray said that while he respects the RSS for its work, the organisation should not take indirect political positions. He challenged Bhagwat to show courage by speaking against attempts to impose Hindi across India before preaching about harmony.
He also warned against forcing Hindutva into every issue, stating that his party has always taken a stand against injustice, whether communal or social.
“For Us, Marathi People and Marathi Language Come First”
In his concluding remarks, Raj Thackeray firmly stated that for the MNS, Marathi identity is non-negotiable.
He said linguistic and regional identities will remain alive in India, and Maharashtra will continue to fight for Marathi pride whenever necessary.
“For us, Marathi people and the Marathi language are the top priority,”
Thackeray asserted.
This sharp political attack by Raj Thackeray is expected to intensify the ongoing debate over language identity, migration, and cultural dominance, especially in Maharashtra ahead of future political developments.
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