Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said the abusive language used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent Jantar Mantar protest was unacceptable, but urged the Prime Minister to ensure that leaders and supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also refrain from using similar rhetoric. Addressing the 20th anniversary programme of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) in Mumbai, Thackeray said standards of public discourse should be applied equally across the political spectrum.

Referring to Prime Minister Modi's recent video message in which he forgave the youths accused of using offensive language against him and his late mother, Thackeray said he fully supported the view that abusive language should not be directed at anyone. However, he appealed to the Prime Minister to advise BJP leaders and party supporters to maintain the same restraint. He alleged that aggressive online trolling had become part of the political culture over the past decade and claimed that abusive language had also been directed at opposition leaders, public figures and artists.

Thackeray further argued that while the Prime Minister had shown generosity by forgiving the protesting students, similar concern should be extended to others targeted by political abuse. "Others have mothers too," he remarked, urging Modi to instruct party members to observe limits in public discourse. He questioned who would apologise for the alleged abusive behaviour of BJP supporters over the past several years and said a consistent approach was necessary to improve the quality of political debate.

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During his address, the MNS chief also focused on issues affecting young people, calling on the party's student wing to understand the aspirations of Generation Z. He said today's students face different challenges from previous generations and stressed the need to engage with young people in both urban and rural Maharashtra. According to Thackeray, the student organisation should adapt to changing social and technological realities to remain relevant to the state's youth.

Thackeray also criticised Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil over his reported remarks linking fingerprint analysis on stones used during incidents of violence to Aadhaar records. Using satire, the MNS leader questioned the practicality of the suggestion and expressed concern over the direction of educational discourse in the state. His remarks added a political dimension to the event, highlighting ongoing exchanges between the MNS and the BJP over governance, public policy and political communication.

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