Raj Thackeray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raj Thackeray
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| President of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena | |
| Assumed office 9 March 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Swararaj Shrikant Thackeray
14 June 1968 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Political party | Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (2006–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Shiv Sena (before 2006) |
| Spouse | Sharmila Thackeray |
| Children | Amit Thackeray Urvashi Thackeray |
| Parent | Kunda Thackeray Shrikant Thackeray |
| Relatives | Thackeray family |
| Residences | Shivaji Park, Dadar, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Alma mater |
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| Profession | Politician, Cartoonist, orator |
Raj Thackeray is a well-known politician from Maharashtra, India. He was born on June 14, 1968, with the name Swararaj Shrikant Thackeray. He started his own political party called the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Raj Thackeray is also the nephew of a famous leader, Balasaheb Thackeray.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Raj Thackeray's birth name was Swararaj. His parents were Shrikant Thackeray and Kunda Thackeray. As a child, he learned to play musical instruments like the tabla, guitar, and violin.
He finished his 10th standard education in 1983. Later, he joined Marmik, a weekly magazine owned by his uncle Bal Thackeray. He started working there as a cartoonist in 1985.
Political Journey
Starting in Shiv Sena
Raj Thackeray began his political journey with the Shiv Sena party. He launched their student group, called Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena. He became well-known during the 1990 Maharashtra assembly elections.
During the 1990s, many thought Raj would take over from his uncle, Balasaheb. However, Balasaheb seemed to prefer his own son, Uddhav Thackeray, for the leadership role.
After some time, Raj Thackeray felt he was not getting enough importance in Shiv Sena. He decided to leave the party on November 27, 2005.
On March 9, 2006, in Mumbai, he started his own new political party. This party is known as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Key Political Views
Raj Thackeray and his party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, focus on protecting the interests of Maharashtra State. They also support the Marathi language and the Marathi Manoos (Marathi people).
Views on Migration
Raj Thackeray has spoken against people moving into Maharashtra from other Indian states. He believes that too many people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are coming to Maharashtra. He says this affects the local Marathi culture and job opportunities.
He has also criticized the celebration of Chhath Puja in Maharashtra. This festival is popular in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Raj Thackeray called it a "drama" and a "show of numerical strength." He felt it was a political move to gain votes from North Indian migrants.
Stance on Violence in Politics
Raj Thackeray and his party have faced criticism for using violence during their protests. These actions were often aimed at migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Thackeray has stated that violence is a part of many protests in Indian politics. He believes incidents involving his party have been unfairly highlighted. He says other parties have also been involved in more violent events.
Changing Support for Narendra Modi
Raj Thackeray first praised Narendra Modi, who was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat. He admired Modi's leadership and the development in Gujarat. He even supported Modi to become Prime Minister in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.
However, he later changed his mind and became a strong critic of Modi and the government. For the 2019 elections, his party did not run for seats. Instead, he asked his supporters to vote for the NCP–Congress alliance.
More recently, for the 2024 elections, Thackeray changed his stance again. He reaffirmed his support for Narendra Modi and his alliance. He mentioned reasons like the removal of Article 370, the law against triple talaq, and the building of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Other Political Comments
Raj Thackeray's party criticized the government's decision to give the Padma Shri award to Adnan Sami. They argued that Sami was not originally an Indian citizen.
In April 2014, on a TV show, Thackeray criticized other political leaders. He spoke against Ajit Pawar for comments about water crisis solutions. He also strongly criticized Samajwadi Party leaders Abu Azmi and Mulayam Singh Yadav for their anti-women views and insensitive comments.
Thackeray has also called for a ban on loudspeakers in mosques.
Personal Life
Raj Thackeray is married to Sharmila Wagh. She is the daughter of Mohan Wagh, a well-known Marathi cinema photographer and director. They got married on December 11, 1990, in Mumbai. They have two children: a son named Amit Thackeray and a daughter named Urvashi Thackeray.
See also
- Zenda, a 2010 Marathi-language film
