Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday, 21 July joined student protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, declaring that removing a single individual from power would not be enough and that the entire government must be changed. Thackeray, who flew in from Mumbai and went directly from the airport to the protest site, addressed a charged crowd of students and called on them to sustain their movement across the country.

Key Remarks from the Stage

Speaking from the stage, Thackeray said, 'There are two years left until the elections, so you have plenty of time. This is just the beginning. The entire government will have to be changed; removing just one person will not work. Until the government changes, there will be no change in your lives. Stand firm in Delhi. The fire of this movement must not die down across the country.'

He opened his address by paying tribute to the protesters: 'I have come here to bow down to the youth power. This spark will not be extinguished.' Drawing a parallel with the freedom struggle, he said, 'If the youth hadn't sacrificed back then, we wouldn't be witnessing independence today. The British considered them terrorists.'

Sharp Dig at Authorities Over Lathi-Charge

Thackeray sharply criticised the police action against protesters the previous day. 'You were brutally beaten yesterday. Some thugs were lathi-charging you. A photo of one such attacker is now viral as 'wanted' — keep sharing it widely,' he told the crowd.

Taking an indirect swipe at Supreme Court Justice Surya Kant, he remarked, 'For the first time since independence, we are witnessing a government unleashing batons on our future. You are not just the youth; you are the future of this country.' He also thanked, with evident sarcasm, the 'distinguished personality' who had referred to protesters as 'cockroaches' — a reference that has become a rallying symbol for the movement.

NEET Paper Leak and Student Suicides

Thackeray invoked the memory of students who had died by suicide in the wake of the NEET exam paper leak controversy. 'In an independent nation, students are committing suicide due to paper leaks. We must honour their memory,' he said, urging the crowd to keep the spirit of sacrifice alive.

He praised Abhijit Deepke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party and a key organiser of the protest, saying Deepke had returned from the United States despite a comfortable life abroad because he could not remain a bystander to injustice. Thackeray was accompanied at the event by party MPs Sanjay Raut, Arvind Sawant, and Anil Desai.

Maharashtra's Solidarity and What Comes Next

Concluding his speech, Thackeray pledged his state's unconditional backing: 'Maharashtra stands with you. I am proud that a youth from Maharashtra is leading this movement. We are with you until the very end and will fight together.'

Speaking to reporters after the event, he said, 'I never expected the government to handle the protest the way it did yesterday. These youngsters are our future and our destiny-makers.'

This visit follows a rally Thackeray organised in Mumbai on Sunday in support of Sonam Wangchuk, Deepke, and the Cockroach Janata Party initiative. The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief is scheduled to hold a press conference on Wednesday at MP Sanjay Raut's Delhi residence to outline the party's next course of action — a signal that the political opposition intends to keep this movement in the national spotlight.