Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has publicly endorsed the rare reunion of cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, who shared a political platform in Mumbai on 5 July for the first time in nearly two decades. Addressing supporters at the “Awaaz Marathicha” rally, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party–led Mahayuti government for attempting to make Hindi compulsory in primary schools. Stalin said the protest showed that resistance to “Hindi imposition,” long associated with southern states, is now gaining momentum in western India. He accused the BJP of using education funding to push the language, citing the Centre’s demand that Tamil Nadu accept a new three-language policy before receiving ₹2,152 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. The Mumbai rally took place days after the Maharashtra government withdrew two Government Resolutions that would have introduced Hindi as a third mandatory language from Classes 1 to 5. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut clarified that his party is not opposed to Hindi per se but will not accept its compulsory inclusion in early schooling—a stance echoed by Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar. The episode has intensified the broader national debate over linguistic pluralism and added pressure on the state’s governing coalition, which must now balance demands for Marathi primacy with concerns from non-Hindi-speaking regions across India.