Uddhav and Raj Thackeray Unite for Student Cause, Announce Joint Mumbai March on July 26

Mumbai, July 2026 : In a significant political development, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray have decided to jointly lead a protest in support of students protesting against alleged examination paper leaks and demanding accountability from the Centre. The two estranged cousins, who recently shared a platform to champion the cause of the Marathi language, are once again coming together—this time to back students seeking reforms in the country’s examination system.

The joint protest march is scheduled to take place in Mumbai on July 26, and is expected to draw thousands of students, youth organisations and supporters from across Maharashtra. Ahead of the rally, Raj Thackeray is scheduled to address a press conference on Thursday morning to outline the programme and the objectives of the march.

The decision to launch the joint agitation comes amid growing public concern over repeated examination paper leak incidents and the ongoing protests spearheaded by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The Thackeray cousins have extended their support to Dipke’s movement and have now decided to participate directly by taking the issue to the streets in Maharashtra.

Political observers see the move as a rare show of unity between the two leaders, who have often pursued separate political paths over the past two decades. Their collaboration has attracted considerable attention, particularly because it centres on an issue affecting students rather than traditional electoral politics.

According to party leaders, the decision was prompted by what they described as the Centre’s inadequate response to the examination controversy. They criticised the continued silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue and questioned why Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had not resigned despite mounting criticism from Opposition parties and protesting students. They also expressed concern over the reported use of force against demonstrators in Delhi.

Ahead of the proposed march, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and MNS leader Amit Thackeray jointly visited students protesting at Shivtirth in Mumbai, where they interacted with demonstrators and expressed solidarity with their demands.

Addressing the gathering, Aaditya Thackeray praised the participation of young people and described the turnout as a reflection of the growing voice of India’s youth. He questioned attempts to portray student protesters in a negative light and asserted that the movement consisted of ordinary Indian citizens seeking justice.

“Everyone gathered here is an Indian citizen. Let us together raise slogans of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. That is our real strength,” Aaditya Thackeray said.

He also highlighted the difference in policing between Mumbai and Delhi, stating that Mumbai Police had handled the protests with restraint. Thanking the city police, he said no force had been used against demonstrators in Mumbai, unlike the incidents reported during protests in the national capital.

Taking a firm stand, Aaditya urged students to maintain the momentum of their movement and reiterated the Opposition’s demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

He also announced that a collective rendition of the National Anthem would be organised at Mumbai’s historic Shivaji Park on July 24 at 4 p.m. The gathering, he said, would not be held under the banner of any political party but under the Indian national flag, symbolising unity among students and citizens.

Uddhav Thackeray also addressed the gathering and extended his full support to the ongoing protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Speaking directly to CJP founder Abhijit Dipke, he assured him that Maharashtra would continue to strengthen the movement.

“You continue your protest in Delhi. My effort will be to ensure this movement continues across the country. We have started it in Maharashtra, and the state stands firmly with you. I am proud that the youth of Maharashtra are leading this campaign,” Uddhav said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said the movement had become much larger than the demand for a minister’s resignation. According to him, the issue represented deeper concerns about the integrity of the country’s education system and the future of students.

He referred to photographs of students who had allegedly died by suicide following examination-related setbacks, saying such tragedies should compel policymakers to undertake comprehensive reforms. “One resignation alone will not solve the problem. The entire system requires change. Unless the system changes, the lives of students will not change,” he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Police made elaborate security arrangements in anticipation of widespread demonstrations across the state. Learning from the large-scale protests witnessed in Delhi, law enforcement agencies intensified surveillance and intelligence gathering to ensure that demonstrations remained peaceful.

According to official sources, nearly 98 protests were organised across Maharashtra in support of the CJP movement. Mumbai Police reportedly carried out continuous monitoring of social media platforms over a two-week period, analysing hashtags, keywords and public posts associated with the campaign to assess crowd mobilisation and identify potential protest locations.

Police officials said the digital surveillance enabled authorities to estimate participation levels, track organisers and make suitable deployment plans well in advance. Intelligence inputs gathered through online monitoring were combined with field-level assessments to maintain law and order during demonstrations.

The upcoming July 26 march is expected to become one of the largest student-focused political mobilisations in Maharashtra in recent years. Beyond the immediate demand for accountability over alleged examination paper leaks, the joint appearance of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray has added a significant political dimension to the movement. Whether their renewed collaboration remains issue-based or evolves into a broader political understanding is likely to be closely watched in the months ahead as the agitation over education reforms continues to gather momentum across the country.

Team Maverick.