'Don't speak to media': Raj Thackeray gags MNS workers amid language row; warns against social media posts

NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing row in the state over the "imposition" of Hindi, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has instructed party members to refrain from making any public or media statements.

"A clear directive... No one from the party is to interact with newspapers, news channels, or any digital media," Thackeray said in a post on X, adding, "Likewise, absolutely no posting of personal reaction videos on social media."

एक स्पष्ट आदेश... पक्षातील कोणीही वर्तमानपत्रं, वृत्तवाहिन्या किंवा कोणत्याही डिजिटल माध्यमांशी संवाद साधायचा नाही. तसंच स्वतःचे प्रतिक्रियांचे व्हिडीओज सोशल मीडियावर टाकायचे हे पण अजिबात करायचं नाही.

आणि माध्यमांशी संवाद साधण्याची अधिकृत जबाबदारी ज्या प्रवक्त्यांना दिली आहे…

— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) July 8, 2025

He further said that the designated spokespersons of the MNS should also not hold any interactions with the media without his permission.

"And those spokespersons officially tasked with engaging with the media must not communicate with any form of media, nor express themselves on social media, without consulting me or obtaining my permission."

The row over the "imposition" of language in primary schools of Maharashtra has snowballed into a major political flash point ahead of civic polls.

The language row and the revocation of two GRs by the state government to introduce Hindi as a third language in primary schools has brought Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray, who heads MNS, together after 20 years last week.