Former Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on June 26 criticized the BJP, accusing it of imposing Hindi and attempting to sow division based on language in the state. Thackeray clarified that his party does not oppose Hindi, but strongly objects to its forced inclusion in Marathi and English-medium schools under the new three-language policy .

He described the situation as a "language emergency", claiming that the BJP’s hidden agenda is to marginalize Marathi and other regional languages . He personally appealed to Marathi writers, athletes, lawyers, and civil society to unite against this move.

The controversy erupted after the Maharashtra government mandated a third language - predominantly Hindi - for students in Classes 1 to 5. Critics argue this move strains young learners and weakens Marathi’s primacy, with demand for policy reversal . Thackeray emphasized that while Hindi is not the problem, its compulsion is unacceptable.