Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray on Sunday urged Hindu and Muslim citizens to remain alert during Ganeshotsav, saying communal clashes could be used to divert public attention from unemployment, economic conditions and other issues. He made the remarks while addressing MNS office-bearers at Gadkari Rangayatan in Thane.
Thackeray said social media was being used to heat up the atmosphere and create anger among communities. He alleged that citizens were being drawn into disputes over caste and religion while broader concerns received less attention. His comments focused on the possibility of disturbances during the festival period, but he did not provide specific evidence or identify any planned incident in his remarks as reported by Loksatta.
“Religion should be respected, but fanaticism should not be allowed,” Thackeray said, according to the report. He appealed to what he described as sensible members of both communities to remain cautious. He also referred to one or two incidents in Mumbai and said he feared they could mark the beginning of further trouble, without providing details of those incidents.
Ganeshotsav brings large public gatherings, processions and event-related activity across cities in Maharashtra. Thackeray’s warning therefore places attention on the responsibility of citizens and authorities to prevent rumours, inflammatory messaging and conflict during the festival period. The report did not include a response from the police, municipal authorities or the state government to his remarks.
The MNS chief also criticised the Union government over unemployment, the economy, education, farmer suicides and language politics. He questioned claims about India’s economic performance and referred to a reported government figure that 503 companies had stopped operating in India between 2021 and 2026. The report did not include the underlying government document or independent verification of that figure.
Thackeray further claimed that thousands of businesspeople capable of investing more than Rs 250 crore had left India between 2018 and 2026. He also discussed students travelling abroad for education and said many were settling outside the country. These claims were made during the speech and were not independently substantiated in the report.
On language, he alleged that non-Marathi residents were being drawn into debates over Marathi in a way that could keep Marathi-speaking citizens occupied with linguistic conflict. He also criticised the planned Hindi conference in Navi Mumbai and commented on the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the event.
Thackeray separately referred to a dispute over the placement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph in a government office. He said the prime minister’s photograph could be displayed in government offices, but should not be placed alongside portraits of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Phule.
His appeal for vigilance came as part of a wider address that combined festival-related concerns with criticism of government policy and social tensions. No specific administrative measure, police advisory or official action following the speech was reported in the source material.
