Amidst the ongoing controversy over Marathi language, former Marine Commando Praveen Kumar Tewatia has accused Raj Thackeray and his party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) of politicizing language and regional identity. Praveen Kumar Tewatiya played an important role in anti -terrorism campaigns during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Teotia, who survived the 2008 terrorist attack on the Bravery Awards and the Taj Hotel in 2008, said, “When the 26/11 terror attack took place, his so -called warriors were hidden and could not be found anywhere. Raj Thackeray himself, Uddhav Thackeray and his family were also missing.”
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Praveen Kumar Tewatiya credited the rescue operation to the defense personnel of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar along with themselves. He said that I handled the situation and faced terrorists. I am also from Uttar Pradesh, I am from Chaudhary Charan Singh’s village. In order to distinguish the language from politics, Tewatia emphasized that people are proud of Marathi, but it should not be made weapons for political gains.
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He said that if you want to do politics, do it for development work and employment. Raj Thackeray and MNS have not done any such work yet. His comments react sharply to recent political rhetoric on Marathi identity, especially in the backdrop of the ongoing regional tension and linguistic debate in Maharashtra. The Thackeray family has been at the forefront of the Marathi dispute, which has been re-given air to the state government’s three-language policy for schools. The policy was withdrawn after criticizing the Thackeray family, after which the two leaders criticized the BJP for imposing Hindi on the original Marathi speakers of the state at a large public union ceremony.
#WATCH | Delhi: On the Marathi language row, ex-Marine Commando Praveen Kumar Teotia, who led the team during the counter-terrorist operations after the 26/11 attack at Mumbai’s Taj Hotel, says, “When the 26/11 terrorist attack happened, their (MNS) so-called warriors hid and… pic.twitter.com/PYwA5Zt9IB
– years (@ani) July 6, 2025