25 July,2026 02:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. File Pic
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said the joint "Tiranga" march organised by the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai would be a non-political demonstration, urging supporters not to carry party flags or raise slogans praising political leaders.
The march, scheduled for July 26, has been jointly organised by the MNS and the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Raj Thackeray and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, respectively, in support of students and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
In a Facebook post, Raj Thackeray said the march would be centred on the national flag and solidarity with students, rather than political parties or personalities.
"This is a Tiranga March. It is completely non-political. There will be no party flags, there will be no slogans in support of the leaders of either party. There will be slogans condemning the government's actions and expressing our support for students and young people across the country," he said.
He said the march was being organised to protest alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and what he described as the government's attempts to suppress the students' movement.
The MNS chief also instructed supporters not to raise slogans in favour of him or Uddhav Thackeray, despite both leaders convening the march.
"Although Uddhav (Thackeray) and I are convenors of the march, no slogans should be raised in our names. This is a students' march, and we must remain mindful of that," he said.
Raj Thackeray emphasised that the protest should remain focused on the concerns of students and young people.
According to Raj Thackeray, the objective of the march is to condemn the government's handling of the protests in Delhi and the actions of the Delhi Police while expressing solidarity with students participating in the agitation.
He said the march was also intended to support students and their families who have continued their protests despite the challenges they have faced.
"Through this march, we want to show them that the entire state of Maharashtra stands firmly behind them," he said.
On Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also defended the proposed march and criticised the government's response to the student protests.
Addressing supporters in Mumbai's Dadar area, he said the demonstration would represent the voice of the people.
"This is 'jan ki baat' (voice of people) and Delhi has to listen to it. The way students were attacked, tear-gassed, I am warning the government -- you can have lathis, but we have tirangas. Let's see who wins," he said.
