Raj Thackeray

Raj Thackeray Biography

Full name- Raj Shrikant Thackeray
Born- 14th June, 1968 in Mumbai, Maharashtra India
Political Party- Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
Other political affiliations- Shiv Sena (till 2006)
Spouse- Sharmila Thackeray
Official Address- 2nd Floor, Matoshri Towers, Padmabai Thakkar Marg, ShivajiPark, Mahim, Mumbai 400016.
Uncle- Balasaheb Thackeray
Cousin – Uddhav Thackeray
Children- Amit Thackeray and Urvashi Thackeray
Founder and President of the Navnirman Sena  (9thMarch 2006- present)

For a man who was interested in arts politics did not come by chance but was a firm and affirmative choice. This conviction has guided him throughout his career some much so that when he felt that the was sidelined he withdrew from the party and formed his own political party which was aimed at reformation and change. A change and reformation in particular for the politician who he believes have subverted from the cause of the commoner.

Raj Thackerey Early life- He was born to Shrikant and Kunda Thackeray. His father Shrikant is the younger brother of Balasaheb Thackeray. Srikanth Thackerey was a cartoonist musician and well versed in the Urdu language. He schooled at the Bal Mohan Vidyamandir Mumbai and completed his graduation in fine arts from the preeminent Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Arts Mumbai. During his child hood days he learned the musical instruments of tabla, guitar and violin. He loved drawing and this was one of the reasons that he took up arts at the graduation level.  This later turned into a passion for him. As a youngster he used to contribute articles to Balasaheb magazine Marmik. But somehow the interest for music and arts with replaced with that of the love for public service.

Raj Thackeray Political Career- He began his political career with his uncle and Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackeray.  Raj always attributed his uncle as more than an inspiration for his political career. In 1997 he started his career with the Shiv Sena Udyog Sena and tried to strengthen his overall political image as a youth leader. He raised funds for the employment through various sources. A major of this was the concert of 1996 which were organized which starred pop icon Michael Jackson and Lata Mangasherkar. These concerts asserted an image for the party and also propagated the Sena’s popular culture that intrinsically was able to consolidate the party against the next generation. Raj Thackeray continued to function a built his image while raising in ranks in the Shiv Sena.

In January of 2006 he handed his resignation from the Shiv Sena.  He did so alleging that the party was run by clerks and that was the pertinent reason for the party’s decline. While till date the exact reason for resignation remains unknown the popular rumour is that he was upset at being sidelined by Balasaheb Thackeray. On the 9th of March of the same year he launched his own political outfit the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Although he separated from party he maintained that he had not hostility towards his uncle and Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackeray. Within a considerable amount of time the party has been able o mark a mark in the state in terms of public opnion and this opnion has been translated into manadate.

Raj Thackeray Present Life- Raj is married to Sharmila the daughter of Mohan Wagh noted Marathi film director and producer.  Their children are Amit Thackeray and Urvashi Thackeray. He continues to love cartooning and is an avid music and cinema lover.

Similarities between Raj Thackeray and Bal Thackeray- Both uncle and nephew share quite a few common interests. Firstly both are cartoonist and love drawing. Both share a similar sense of dressing.  At the same time both are known for their firebrand speeches and similar style of oratory as mass communicators. Apart from that even their political objective though years apart are still the same for instance Balasaheb and Raj Thackeray aim at reformation and guiding the masses from leaders who have subverted from the cause of the commoner.

Raj Thackeray Quotes-
Clearing his stand on the Hindi Language- “I am not opposed to Hindi but do not force Hindi on us.”
In praise of Sachin-“ I don't have words to express my admiration for Sachin.”
After travelling in a train after 25 years-“This is not the first time I am travelling by train. I used to take trains during my college days some 25 years ago. But now the crowd is increasing like anything, and the outsiders coming to the city are responsible for this burden on the infrastructure.”
On Bollywood- “Bollywood does not understand any other language but violence. We had written to the producers (of Wake Up Sid) seven months back, asking them to ensure that they refer to the city as Mumbai. Mumbai is the official name of the city...”

Raj Thackeray Controversies- Raj Thackeray has had several brushes with controversies. First the controversy that much like his uncle he raked the migrant issue. He severely criticsed the north Indian so much so that his stance invoked violence in the state. According to him the core reason for corruption, crime and problems that are prevalent in society.  He was severely criticsed for using violence for the cause. He also was in the news for supporting   Narendra Modi. Shiv Sena opposed the accusation of mill land, Raj Thackeray bid for and won mill land in prime Mumbai real estate. In July 2008, Raj issued a public warning that Mumbai shops needed to have Marathi signboards in addition to the existing English signboards.

He warned that after one month, MNS workers would start blackening non-Marathi signboards. While there had been a law to this effect passed earlier by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, it had not been enforced. Jaya's words 'Hum UP (Uttar Pradesh) ke log hain, isliye Hindi mein baat karenge, Maharashtra ke log Maaf Kijiye' (We are from UP region, so we will speak in Hindi. People of Maharashtra, please excuse) after her candid response to the film's Director, Goldie Behl, making his introductory speech in English and subsequently encouraging the actress Priyanka Chopra to speak in Hindi. Raj commented that Jaya had no business alluding to all the people of Maharashtra in that statement.

He threatened to ban all Bachchan films unless Jaya apologized in a public forum for hurting Maharashtrian. In October 2008, on the eve of the major Indian festival Diwali, Jet Airways laid off 800 temporary workers and announced layoffs of an additional 1100 workers. The laid-off workers included Marathi as well as North-Indians. Secondly Jet Airways workers met Raj Thackeray and asked him to intervene in the matter. Following this, Raj Thackeray declared that most of these workers had paid security deposits to the company, and he would meet Jet management to plead their case. Unless Jet Airways cancelled the layoffs, his party would not allow any Jet Airways plane to take off from any airport in Maharashtra.  Another significant  controversy was  the  objection to use of  the word Bombay in the film "Wakeup Sid". The director of the film Karan Johar  apologised to Mr. Thackeray and also also muted the scene with the particular reference. 

The director of the film apologized for the same and agreed to include an apology on each of the 700 frames of the film. In 2010 he demanded that telecom subscribers should include telecom customer services in marathon. n Mumbai two drivers were assaulted, while in Thane five autos were damaged and the drivers assaulted. The Sion police arrested 12 Maharashtra Navnirman Wahatuk Sena workers for assault, illegal gathering, rioting and criminal intimidation. In Dec 2011, Raj Thackeray meeting a group from MES(Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti) advised them that they should revisit their stand of merging Belgaum with Maharashtra in the interest of Marathi speaking people of belgaum.

Raj Thackery latest news-
FIR filed against Raj and Uddhav Thackeray
Both the Thackeray cousins have FIR filled against themselves in  Bihar for making derogatory comments against the people of Gujarat.  Thackeray cousins have been charge sheeted under sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups of people), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the IPC.