Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday, 1 August said the abusive language directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the recent Jantar Mantar protest was unacceptable — but demanded that the Prime Minister apply the same standard to his own party's supporters and online troll networks. Speaking in Mumbai, Thackeray issued a pointed challenge: 'Others have mothers too.'

What Thackeray Said

Addressing the 20th anniversary programme of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS), Thackeray made clear he had no sympathy for the offensive language used at Jantar Mantar. 'The language used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the protest at Jantar Mantar was inappropriate. We agree with that. I 100 per cent agree that such low-level language should not be used against anyone,' he said.

However, he immediately turned the argument around. 'I only want to tell the Prime Minister — please convey this to the people in your party as well,' Thackeray added, calling on Modi to instruct Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and supporters to observe the same limits.

The Trigger: PM Modi's Instagram Video

The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi shared a video on Instagram on Friday night, objecting to offensive language used against him and his mother at Jantar Mantar. In the video, Modi said he forgave the youths involved and appealed that no legal action be taken against them.

Thackeray acknowledged the gesture but pushed back sharply. 'PM Modi said he and his mother were abused, which is indeed wrong. But my request to the Prime Minister is — others have mothers too. You must instruct your party leaders to maintain limits. You say you forgave the youths at Jantar Mantar, but who will apologise for what your people have been doing for the last 12 years?' he said.

Attack on BJP's Troll Culture

Thackeray accused the BJP of systematically building an aggressive online trolling infrastructure over the past decade-plus. 'Look at the language your team of trolls uses against everyone from Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Indira Gandhi to us. Many artists in Maharashtra are afraid to speak up. Teams have been set up in every state — tell them too not to abuse people,' he said.

He argued that the current political climate was a direct consequence of that culture. 'This culture of trolling started over the last 12 years. What you reaped is what you sowed,' Thackeray remarked.

Swipe at Education Minister Chandrakant Patil

Thackeray also took aim at Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil over the minister's recent statements linking stone-pelting incidents in Delhi to an Aadhaar-based fingerprint investigation. Mocking the proposal, Thackeray quipped: 'The Education Minister of Maharashtra wants to link fingerprints on stones to Aadhaar. I want to see the fingerprints on Chandrakant Patil's brain.'

He added: 'Kolhapur sent him to Pune so he might gain wisdom, but nothing happened here either. With an Education Minister like this, won't Gen Z lose their temper?'

Appeal to the MNS Student Wing

Shifting to the occasion's core theme, Thackeray urged the MNVS to engage seriously with the aspirations of Gen Z, including youth in rural Maharashtra. 'We have seen the era transition from Telegram to Instagram. We need to understand what this Gen Z generation wants. Gen Z exists in rural Maharashtra as well. Understanding their expectations is essential,' he said, calling on the student wing to explore that terrain actively.

With Maharashtra's political temperature running high ahead of upcoming civic cycles, Thackeray's remarks signal that the MNS intends to position itself as a voice of political accountability — targeting both the language of opposition protests and the ruling party's digital conduct.