During a lecture in Pune, Raj Thackeray (chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) called on the citizens of Maharashtra to be more assertive about speaking Marathi. He lamented the 'deliberate attempts' to prevent unity among Marathi speakers and criticized the political leadership for the state's decline. Thackeray pointed out that despite Marathi being recognized as an 'Abhijaat' language, disputes over Hindi persist. He expressed pride in public figures like Sachin Tendulkar who speak Marathi and condemned the caste-based judgment of poets and authors. Emphasizing the need for cultural pride, he urged Maharashtrians to showcase their heritage linked to figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar. Thackeray concluded by insisting that people should speak only in Marathi to encourage its use among others.