Thackeray Brothers Rally Together at Shivaji Park Over NEET‑UG Leak

On a breezy Sunday afternoon, Shivaji Park in Mumbai turned into a sea of Indian flags and hopeful faces. The crowd was a mix of students, families, and a few curious onlookers, all gathered to hear two familiar brothers – Uddhav Thackeray, head of Shiv Sena (UBT), and Raj Thackeray, president of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena – speak out against the recent NEET‑UG paper‑leak saga.

It wasn’t just a political rally; it felt more like a community gathering. Somewhere in the background, someone sang “Vande Mataram” and the words seemed to echo the collective sigh of a nation tired of political games. On stage, the Thackeray brothers were flanked by a familiar lineup – Aaditya Thackeray, the young MLA; Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP; and Rohit Pawar, the NCP (SP) leader – all nodding, all listening, all trying to project a united front.

Uddhav, with his usual calm demeanor, didn’t shy away from the hard truths. “The government is more interested in splitting parties than in fixing a leak that cost lives,” he said, a thin smile breaking through his seriousness. He went on to jab at the central leadership, hinting that even Prime Minister Modi “knows how to win mandates, but not hearts.” The crowd responded with a mix of applause and hushed murmurs – you could feel the tension and the hope tangled together.

Raj, on the other hand, kept the tone a little softer, praising the students for their courage. “Your hard work has brought us here today,” he told the gathering, before calling for a minute’s silence to remember those who had taken the ultimate step of suicide. The pause was solemn; a few eyes glistened, and the silence spoke louder than any speech could.

The backdrop to all this drama? Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had just quit his cabinet post, citing the “greater interest of students.” His resignation, while symbolic, seemed to barely soothe the anger that’s been simmering across campuses since the leak. After his departure, the Confederation of Joint Parents (CJP) hinted they might call off further protests – a tentative peace offering that many are watching closely.

As the rally wound down, Uddhav urged everyone to record any threats or intimidation aimed at the students, calling them “blind loyalists.” He asked people to share the videos, to expose the “faces of fear” and protect the movement. The message was clear: the fight isn’t over, but the Thackeray brothers wanted to show that, at least for today, they’re on the same side of the fence.