Mumbai, July 22 (IANS) Shiv Sena-UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday decided to take to the streets in support of students
A joint protest march has been organised in Mumbai on July 26.
Ahead of the rally, Raj Thackeray will hold a press conference on Thursday morning to share further details regarding the event.
The Thackeray brothers had previously joined hands to protect the pride of the Marathi language. Now, they are coming together once again for the future of students, making this upcoming joint protest a focus of widespread attention.
The Thackeray brothers have extended their support to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke, who is currently protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Moving beyond symbolic backing, both leaders have now decided to directly take to the streets.
The decision comes amid growing frustration over several key issues, including the Union Education Minister not resigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah remaining silent on the matter, and the use of baton charges (lathi charges) against protesting students.
With these developments unfolding, all eyes are now on what the two leaders will address during the upcoming protest march.
Earlier on Wednesday, MNS leader Amit Thackeray and Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aditya Thackeray visited the protesting students at Shivtirth in Mumbai.
Addressing the people, Aditya Thackeray said, "First of all, the fact that you all have gathered here demonstrates the power of the youth. It is extremely important that we all come together like this. Is there anyone here representing a political party? Are there any 'Urban Naxals' or terrorists here? Everyone here who is an Indian citizen, chant Vande Mataram and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. This is our true strength. Today, Amit Thackeray and I visited different locations where young men and women had gathered in similar numbers. We must acknowledge one thing—what happened in Delhi was not done by the Mumbai Police. They did not lay a finger on anyone, and for that, we should express our gratitude to them."
Taking a firm stance, Aaditya Thackeray addressed the youth, saying, "Do not let your passion cool down; Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation must happen."
He announced that a collective singing of the National Anthem will take place on July 24 at 4 p.m. at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.
Praising the local authorities, Aaaditya Thackeray noted that Mumbai Police still retain sensitivity, as unlike in Delhi, they did not resort to a cane charge on the demonstrators.
Aaditya Thackeray urged the youth to unite, saying, "On July 24, let us gather not under any political party flag, but under the Indian national flag to sing the National Anthem."
The Shiv Sena-UBT Chief extended his support to the ongoing protest organised by the CJP at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where demonstrators are demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister.
Addressing organiser Abhijit Dipke, Uddhav Thackeray assured continuous backing, "You continue the protest in Delhi; my effort will be to ensure this movement stays active across the country. We have initiated it in Maharashtra, and the state stands firmly with you. I am proud that the youth of Maharashtra are leading this cause."
The Shiv Sena-UBT Chief also added, "Abhijit Dipke has sparked a flame. Photographs of the students who lost their lives have been displayed here. It is tragic that in an independent country, students are committing suicide due to paper leaks—we must honour their memory. The elections are still three years away, which is a long time, but our battle has begun now. Merely one resignation will not suffice; the entire system needs to change. Until the government changes, nothing in our lives will change."
Meanwhile, following the protests organised by CJP in various parts of the state, police authorities had made special preparations.
Learning from the large-scale demonstrations in Delhi, the Mumbai Police successfully maintained law and order through 14 days of continuous social media monitoring, intelligence gathering, and on-ground tactical planning.
According to official sources, a total of 98 protests were conducted across Maharashtra in support of the CJP.
Police sources revealed that special digital patrolling was executed across social media platforms to anticipate potential gatherings.
Authorities closely monitored hashtags, keywords, and frequently posting accounts related to the movement.
Online activities of individuals promoting and organising the protests were thoroughly analysed, providing the police with critical advance intelligence regarding potential crowd sizes, locations, and organisers.
