MNS chief Raj Thackeray sharply criticized industrialists and public figures who praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government but prefer to live outside the country. He questioned their claims of significant improvement in India's situation under the current administration.
Speaking at a rally celebrating the 20th anniversary of Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena in Mumbai, Thackeray cited actors Vivek Oberoi and R. Madhavan. He linked their decisions to growing disillusionment among the country's youth.
Asserting that the government itself admitted in parliament that entrepreneurs are leaving India, Thackeray stated that many who publicly support the government's narrative do not wish to build their lives in the country.
He noted: 'Vivek Oberoi, who played Modi in a film about Modi's life, lives in Dubai. R. Madhavan, who speaks about how everything has become wonderful during Modi's time and how the country has changed, moves to Dubai with his family. If you think Modi made everything so great, then why have you settled abroad? These people will come here to work in government-sponsored films and then return to Dubai.'
Besides actors, he emphasized that this trend extends to industrialists who are moving abroad.
Thackeray suggested that the migration of entrepreneurs and young professionals reflects a deeper crisis of trust, as Indian cities have failed to provide the quality of life expected by the youth.
He criticized the 'Smart Cities' initiative, asking: 'Where are these smart cities? No city here is decent. Today, children are leaving the country. Why? Because they don't feel at home here. The cities are ruined; there is no place to raise children. Abroad, there are excellent roads, fields, gardens, cleanliness, sports complexes—all of this. Because of all this, these children feel the desire to leave and settle there. And we feel nothing about it?'
The MNS chief also commented on Prime Minister Modi's remarks regarding the condemnation of offensive language directed at him and his mother. He agreed that such speech is unacceptable but accused the BJP of cultivating a culture of online abuse.
He stated: 'The language used against him was indeed inappropriate. No one should use such language against anyone. It was wrong. But tell this to your people. Since 2012, the army of trolls nurtured by your party has been trolling everyone, from Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi, to all of us, including me, in the dirtiest ways. Today, if artists in Maharashtra protest the government, they are trolled. Tell your people this sometime. You reap what you sow.'
Continuing his speech, he added that while the comments about his mother were mistaken, other people also have mothers. He called on the trolls nurtured by the party to take responsibility for their actions, questioning who would apologize for those who beat students with batons and broke their heads.
Addressing student activists, Thackeray insisted that the recent protests cannot be viewed solely through the lens of the NEET exam dispute. He believed the unrest reflects broader issues such as unemployment, privatization, poor infrastructure, corruption, and lack of opportunities.
He warned that further public anger could erupt if these problems remain unresolved. Quoting Osho, Thackeray rejected the idea that the country's youth are astray, stating: 'Who says the country's youth are wandering down the wrong path? If the creators of the path built the wrong path, where is the fault of the youth?'
In conclusion, he urged members of Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena to consider the aspirations and anxieties of both urban and rural youth of Maharashtra, noting that the movement must engage with the realities faced by the state's young generation.
