At reunion, Raj Thackeray's 'hit below eardrums' remark; Uddhav Thackeray says 'we are gundas if...'

After nearly two decades of estrangement, cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on Saturday announced their reunion as they addressed a joint rally in Mumbai to oppose the alleged imposition of the Hindi language over Maharashtra by the BJP-led state government. "We have come together to stay together", Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing the gathering.

Speaking at the rally, Uddhav Thackeray, the supremo of Shiv Sena (UBT), defended his party's policies and attacked the opposition. He claimed the opposition calls their workers goondas (goons) for defending Hindus during riots.

"You (Shiv Sena) have used us enough already. If you didn't have the support of Balasaheb Thackeray, who knew you in Maharashtra. Who are you to teach us about Hindutva? When riots were happening in Mumbai, we, the Marathi people, had saved every Hindu in Maharashtra, be it anyone. If you are calling Marathi people 'gundas' doing their protest, seeking justice. Then yes, we are gunda," he added.

He also lauded his cousin, Raj Thackeray's, oratory.

"Since we announced this program, everyone was eagerly waiting for our speech today, but in my view, we are both coming together, and this stage was more important than our speeches. Raj has already given a very outstanding speech, and I think there is no need for me to speak now," Uddhav Thackeray said.

Uddhav alleged that the BJP-led Centre has pushed Mumbai's important establishments to Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's native state.

"They always ask us what we did for the Marathi people in Mumbai during our rule in BMC. They all forced Marathi people to go out of Mumbai, but now we are asking a question: in the last 11 years of your rule, what have you done? You have pushed away Mumbai's important establishments to Gujarat. Businesses are being transferred to Gujarat. Big offices are going to Gujarat. The diamond business has already shifted to Gujarat, so you have made all attempts to break the backbone of Maharashtra and continue to do that, and you are asking questions to us", Uddhav Thackeray said.

Earlier, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray shared a hug at the Worli Dome in Mumbai. They garlanded the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

What Raj Thackeray said

Raj Thackeray said that for him, Maharashtra is bigger than any politics and fight. He also said that those living in Maharashtra must know Marathi.

"Be it Gujarati or anyone else here, they must know Marathi, but there is no need to beat people for that if they don’t speak Marathi. But if someone shows useless drama, you must hit below their eardrums. I tell you one more thing: if you beat someone, don’t make a video of the incident. Let the person beaten up tell that he has been beaten up, you don’t need to tell everyone that you have beaten someone," he said.