'Marathi in Maharashtra, but Hindu in Hindustan': Old video of Bal Thackeray surfaces online amid language row

In the video that was posted on the social media platform X, he could be seen addressing the crowd as he identifies himself as a Marathi in Maharashtra, but a Hindu in India.

After two decades, the estranged Thackeray cousins Uddhav and Raj shared a public stage and held a 'mega victory gathering' in Mumbai to celebrate the Maharashtra government's roll back of the three-language policy in primary schools.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray, whose parties are known to aggressively push the cause of Marathi identity and language, came together on one stage.

Amid this, an old video of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray is surfing online.

In the video that was posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he could be seen addressing the crowd as he identifies himself as a Marathi in Maharashtra, but a Hindu in India.

"I may be Marathi in Maharashtra but I am Hindu in Bharat. We must embrace Hindutva over linguistic identities," the caption of the video read.

"We are Marathi in Maharashtra, but we are Hindu in Hindustan," Bal Thackeray can be seen saying in the video.

The video has garnered over 450k views on X and was posted after the two brothers came together for 'victory rally'.

The cousins meet comes just ahead of the local body polls, including the cash rich Mumbai civic corporation.

The last time the two cousins shared the stage was during the election campaign of Malvan assembly bypoll in 2005 after former Chief Minister Narayan Rane had quit the undivided Shiv Sena.

Raj Thackeray quit the Shiv Sena in the same year itself and floated the MNS in 2006.

The two parties have urged other political outfits who have protested against making Hindi "compulsory" in primary schools, and also people from the field of literature, art to participate in the gathering.

(With PTI and DHNS inputs)