At the MNS’s annual Gudi Padwa rally at Shivaji Park, party chief Raj Thackeray delivered a fiery speech, hitting out at attempts to disrupt communal harmony, raising concerns over river pollution, and warning of strict action against those disrespecting the Marathi language. 

Thackeray urged people to unite under Marathi identity instead of dividing along caste and community lines. He emphasised that Marathi must be used in daily interactions and warned of a strong response to incidents where it is ignored. Referring to cases where a private telecom company representative and an employee at a South Mumbai store refused to speak Marathi, he declared, “MNS will deal in its own style with anyone disrespecting Marathi.”