Latest news with #BalThackeray
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader discontinues Marathi class for non-Marathi people due to poor response
Mumbai: In April, around the time the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was flexing its muscles—quite literally, after failing to do so politically in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections—by assaulting people for not speaking in Marathi, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey came up with an idea. To ensure the MNS did not hijack the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Marathi agenda, the 44-year-old announced he would launch a free Marathi-speaking course to help non-Marathi speakers who recently moved to Mumbai. Initially, there was enthusiasm for the course, with around 1,500 registrations, according to Dubey. 'We had identified two locations in Kandivali and a third in Malad for the classes, and were planning to expand further,' he said. The first batch began in mid-April in Kandivali, a suburb with a significant north Indian population, with around 50 students. However, Dubey's initiative would eventually fall victim to a perennial issue in a city with a burgeoning population, inadequate public transport and poor road conditions—commuting time. 'After the first week, attendance went down to around 50%,' said Dubey. 'Participants said that due to their office timings or their work-related issues, they found it difficult to attend regularly. Meanwhile, many of those who registered informed us that they could attend online classes, but it was not possible to attend physically due to work- and travel-related issues.' The Marathi agenda To think that a party helmed by the son of the legendary Bal Thackeray is fighting to ensure another party does not hijack its pro-Marathi agenda is seeped in irony. The Shiv Sena was founded in 1966 by the late Bal Thackeray to address the perceived marginalisation of Marathi-speaking people in Maharashtra. Its core agenda was to promote the interests of the Marathi manoos or sons of the soil. This agenda resonated with many Marathi-speaking voters in Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai, as the Shiv Sena took control of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 1985. Since then, it has never lost the polls to India's richest civic body. When Chhagan Bhujbal, then with the Shiv Sena, became the mayor of the city, he came up with the slogan 'Sundar Mumbai, Marathi Mumbai' (Beautiful Mumbai, Marathi Mumbai), with a commitment that the cosmopolitan metropolis with a diverse population would be seen as a city of Marathi people. The Shiv Sena has frequently reasserted this issue—of Mumbai's Marathi identity—in the last four decades. In March 2025, the issue was back on the political agenda after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi remarked that Mumbai does not have one language and that anyone coming to the city need not necessarily learn Marathi. His remark kicked up a controversy, with both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS criticising it and using it to target the RSS and its political offshoot, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). At his Gudhi Padwa rally on March 30 at Shivaji Park, MNS chief Raj Thackeray delivered a fiery speech emphasising the importance of the Marathi language and identity. He said that those who claim they cannot speak Marathi in Mumbai would 'get a slap on the face'. Immediately after the rally, there were several reported incidents of MNS workers assaulting people for not speaking Marathi, including bank and supermarket employees. The MNS's target appeared to be north Indians, the second-largest linguistic group in Mumbai after Marathis. Ever since it was formed in 2006, the party has had a history of aggressive rhetoric and violence against north Indian Hindi-speaking migrants in Maharashtra. It was in this backdrop that Dubey, who was born in Varanasi before his family moved to Mumbai when he was four, announced a Marathi-speaking course for non-Marathi people. The course was to be one month long and free. Dubey, who started his political journey with the Congress before joining the Shiv Sena in 2019, urged non-Marathi speakers to register for the course. He put up hoardings in Kandivali saying, 'Don't be afraid. Let's speak Marathi. Let's respect Marathi.' He also circulated a message on social media slamming the MNS for beating non-Marathi people for not knowing Marathi, but doing nothing to help them. There's no doubt the timing of Dubey's initiative was opportune, with the BMC elections expected to be held for the first time since 2017 after the monsoon. Following the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022 and a debacle in the 2024 assembly polls, the BMC elections could be make or break for the Shiv Sena (UBT). Party chief Uddhav Thackeray is keen to get the support of north Indians living in Mumbai. Dubey launched the Marathi-speaking course in Kandivali, where he's based. He appointed teachers who used to teach Marathi subjects in schools. Initially, it received a good response, with around 1,500 people registering. Accordingly, in the third week of April, the classes started, with the first batch of around 50. Most of the participants were north Indians, including shop owners, auto-taxi drivers, salesmen, employees of private companies and a couple of highly educated engineers. The challenges However, after the first week, attendance started dwindling as participants found it difficult to attend the class physically. Some participants also left the batch midway as they went to their hometowns for the summer vacations, Dubey said. As a result, the second batch could not start. Gulab Maurya, 42, a private sector employee from Dahisar who attended the first batch, said it was a good initiative and benefited him personally. 'The teacher, Rahul Jadhav, taught us communication skills in Marathi. First, he taught us similarities between Hindi and Marathi and then taught us words and sentences required in public places. After the first week, people started dropping out as some of them went on vacation, and some had work-related issues. At the end of the month, around 25 people completed the course. It gave me confidence that I can speak basic Marathi at office places and public places,' said Maurya. Lalu Yadav, 28, who runs a fruit stall in Dahisar, said that the class tenure should be around three months so that people can learn better. 'It was a good course to learn communication skills in Marathi. It was for one month, but I feel that it should be for around three months so that people can learn properly. Some people are quick in learning another language, but most people need time for it. Many people were demanding an online class, but I personally feel physical attendance is a better way to learn,' said Yadav. Dubey has discontinued the course for now, but said he would revive it if there is still demand for it. 'I am willing to restart it at any point in time,' he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Harshal Pradhan said the initiative had the party's support and was not a political move. 'Teaching Marathi to non-Marathi people is not a political event for us. It's a social service started by Dubey, and the party supports it. It would be continued as per the demand by people,' he said. However, the MNS's Mumbai president, Sandeep Deshpande, dismissed the initiative. 'It was nothing but a political stunt by Dubey. Those who want to speak Marathi learn it from other sources, and they don't need Dubey's class,' he said. Whether Deshpande changes his stance if the estranged cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray do reunite after two decades, as has been the subject of growing speculation in the last couple of months, remains to be seen.
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Foundation day events by Sena parties set to be show of strength before civic polls
Shiv Sena led by minister Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray 's Sena UBT will hold separate events on June 19 to mark the 59th foundation day of Sena. The June 19 events are expected to serve as launchpads for the upcoming civic polls — particularly the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, viewed as a litmus test for both parties after the 2022 split. While Shinde Sena, is likely host its event at the NSCI Dome in Worli in a grand scale, Sena (UBT) will mark the day at the Shanmukhanand Hall in Sion, continuing the tradition associated with the party's founding on June 19, 1966, by Bal Thackeray at Shivaji Park. Both leaders will begin the day by paying tribute at Bal Thackeray's memorial at Shivaji Park, before addressing their respective party workers in the evening which would be a major show of strength by the two sides. While the Shinde camp is expected to stress a dual plank of 'development' and 'Hindutva', the Uddhav-led faction will position itself around a 'Save Mumbai' campaign, highlighting concerns over large-scale projects such as the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, and what it describes as the 'commercial handover' of the city to private interests. Party leaders indicated that Uddhav Thackeray may clarify his stance on a potential alliance with his cousin Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said this party anniversary—the first after the new state government—will be 'very special,' with preparations already underway. He added that the party is gearing up for the BMC and other civic polls, and that local leaders have been empowered to assess alliances before a final decision is made by Uddhav. Although the Shinde Sena performed better across the state in the 2024 Assembly elections, the Mumbai results were mixed. Of the 36 Assembly seats in the city, the Mahayuti alliance (BJP, Shinde Sena, Ajit Pawar's NCP) secured 22, while Sena (UBT) retained 10. In the 2017 BMC elections, the undivided Sena had won 84 seats in the 227-member civic body. The BMC has been under an administrator since March 2022. Meanwhile, amid the buzz over Sena UBT and MNS alliance, banners featuring party MLA Aaditya Thackeray and Raj Thackeray were seen outside Shiv Sena Bhavan, with birthday greetings — Aaditya turns 35 on June 13, and Raj 56 on June 14 — and appeals for the two Thackerays to come together.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Recreating Bal Thackeray's voice and making Saamana anchor, Sena (UBT) banks big time on AI
From recreating Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's voice to developing an Artificial Intelligence anchor for its mouthpiece Saamana , the Shiv Sena (UBT) is betting big on AI ahead of the coming civic polls in Maharashtra. The opposition party is likely to use this new-age technology to reach out to a wider section of people, specially youngsters who are tech-savvy. Elections to various civic bodies, including the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, are likely to be held later this year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Semua yang Perlu Anda Ketahui Tentang Limfoma Limfoma Pelajari Undo Banking on AI by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party comes at a time when he is facing challenges in his political career, in view of the split in the Shiv Sena and collapse of his Maha Vikas Aghadi government in 2022 as well as poor show in the state polls last year. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai told PTI that he uses AI as much as possible, specially for data analysis. Live Events In April, the Shiv Sena (UBT) used AI to recreate a voice resembling Bal Thackeray, in his trademark style, to address party workers at an event in Nashik, in a bid to shore up the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit's prospects after the state assembly polls debacle last year. The speech tried to create, according to the Shiv Sena (UBT), what Bal Thackeray would have said had he been alive. The AI speech saw attacks primarily aimed at the ruling BJP and the rival Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde . It also tried to have the mannerisms, tone which Bal Thackeray used during his speeches. On Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and party mouthpiece's executive editor Sanjay Raut unveiled 'Tejasvi AI', claimed to be the first Artificial Intelligence anchor in Marathi media. The AI anchor will read out news on Saamana's YouTube channel, he said. Dressed in a black suit, AI anchor appears to be a man in his late twenties or early thirties with a sharp nose and jawline. Some Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders, including its Lok Sabha member Anil Desai, are even using AI for their day-to-day use. Desai credited Uddhav Thackeray 's son and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray behind using AI in functioning. The Mumbai South-Central MP said he has been using AI for data analysis wherever possible to understand statistics better. "I try to use the AI as much as possible. But it is not the only tool or source I use," Desai said. Last month, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) digitally recreated the voice of its founder N T Rama Rao (NTR) using AI for an invitation video for its annual conclave in Kadapa district.
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
There is a line between criticising the government and breaking the law. India's courts have said it many times
It was 2012. Two young girls were arrested by the Mumbai police for expressing their discontent over a complete shutdown of the city after the death of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. Despite their subsequent release from custody, it took another three years and a landmark judgment to rule out the legal validity of the grounds for their arrest. The recent arrest of an engineering student from Pune for her Instagram story about Operation Sindoor — she was later granted bail by the Bombay High Court — shows that the needle hasn't moved much since then. Notably, removing the story and tendering an apology shortly after did not offer any relief to the teen, as she spent over two weeks in jail. She was also rusticated from college, barring her from sitting for the examinations. It was only after the Bombay High Court's intervention, which pulled up the police for a 'radical step,' that she got temporary relief. The investigation, however, would go on, and she would not be allowed to leave the state without permission. In the last few years, the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression has been compromised on many occasions. We tend to forget that criticising those in power is different from breaking the law. The continuous clampdown on political commentary, especially on social media, repeatedly highlights the blurring of such lines. Be it the protests on the JNU campus in 2016, the anti-CAA protests, or one-off social media commentary by individuals, the 'anti-national' label and subsequent police action seem to be predictable consequences. The resort to national security and integrity as a ground for an embargo on free speech makes the 'reasonable restrictions on free speech' doctrine hollow. According to the central government's own submission in Lok Sabha, between 2018 and 2022, there were over 8,000 arrests for anti-government activities. Under the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, the colonial-era Section 124A was used to prosecute any expression or activity that led to disaffection towards the government. The lack of clarity of this provision, which led to numerous wrongful detentions, was acknowledged by the government itself. However, in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the government replaced it with Section 152. This section punishes people for 'words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or by electronic communication or by use of financial means' which endanger the unity, sovereignty, and integrity of India. The retention of the core principles of sedition in Section 152 makes the intention of the government clear. However, the Indian judiciary, time and again, has come up with strong guardrails against any abuse of law. One of the most controversial provisions — Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, often misused to arrest people — was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal vs Union of India in 2015. This landmark judgment also impacted the interpretation and application of sedition laws. It denounced arbitrary restrictions on speech by highlighting the three-fold test of 'necessity, proportionality, and legality'. The court stated that mere expression that does not entail a clear and imminent incitement of danger or harm cannot be held as a ground for curtailment of speech, let alone criminal prosecution. Recently, in the case of Tejender Pal Singh vs State of Rajasthan (2024), the Rajasthan High Court echoed this sentiment and said that Section 152 should not be used to stifle dissent. The court also urged the state to distinguish between mere advocacy or discussion and a causal link between the expression and its consequences. The latter lays the ground for criminality; the former falls within the realm of freedom of speech and expression. Arbitrary and excessive restrictions do little to preserve public order and integrity; rather, they undermine the basic fabric of a democratic society. If the state doesn't show restraint, its radical reaction is bound to have consequences. The writer is Outreach lead at Nyaaya, an initiative of Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy
NDTV
26-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Had Balasaheb Thackeray Been Alive He Would've Hugged PM Modi For Op Sindoor: Amit Shah
Nanded: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that had Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray been alive, he would have hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of Operation Sindoor. Addressing a public event in Maharashtra's Nanded, Mr Shah slammed the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), saying it mocked the multi-party delegations visiting partner countries to convey India's message of zero tolerance against terrorism as "baraat" (wedding party). "Had Balasaheb Thackeray been alive, he would have hugged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of Operation Sindoor," he said at a public event in Maharashtra's Nanded. The Centre has sent seven multi-party delegations to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community on Pakistan's designs and India's response to terror. "I don't know what has happened to the Uddhav Sena. They are calling the delegations a baraat even though their own members are a part of it," said Shah, who is on a two-day tour of Maharashtra. Later, Ambadas Danve of Sena (UBT) retorted that Bal Thackeray would not have allowed those who "betrayed" the Shiv Sena even to his doorstep. "Bal Thackeray would have asked, 'Where are those six (terrorists) who killed Hindus by asking their religion?'. He also would have asked when the country was united, who put pressure to declare a ceasefire with Pakistan," he wrote on X. The Shiv Sena and the BJP were allies in the state for decades before parting ways in 2019. After the Sena split in 2022, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde got the name and symbol. While the Shiv Sena under Shinde is a part of the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, the Uddhav faction is a partner in the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi.
