No, Uddhav Thackeray did not demand classical language status for Urdu

What is the claim?

A statement attributed to Uddhav Thackeray, a leader of the Maharashtra Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party, is circulating online, claiming he has demanded that Urdu be granted classical language status, similar to that of Marathi, which is widely spoken in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

The viral post features a graphic with Thackeray's image. The text above it, written in Marathi, translates to: “It is our demand that Urdu should be given the status of a classical language just like Marathi.”

One Facebook post shared by Maharashtra BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader Dilip Matkar included the graphic, captioned in Marathi, stating, “Father is the Emperor of Hindu hearts, and this gentleman is the Emperor of Urdu hearts.” Archived versions of similar posts can be found here, here, and here.

Screenshot of viral posts circulating on social media. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)

On October 3, 2024, the government designated five languages—Marathi, Pali, Assamese, Prakrit, and Bengali—as classical languages, adding to the existing classical languages: Kannada, Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Odia.

However, our investigation found that the viral quote attributed to Thackeray is fake.

How did we find it?

We noticed the 'ABP Majha' logo on the viral graphic. Using this as a clue, we searched for similar posts on ABP Majha's official social media accounts but found no statement from Thackeray seeking classical language status for Urdu.

A very similar graphic template featuring Thackeray was first used by ABP Majha in 2022 (archived here) but contained a different statement in Marathi, translating to: “Saw Mangalmurti and 'Amangalmurti' in Mumbai yesterday. (We’ll) show the sky to those who talk about showing land.”

This graphic was also used in May 2024 (archived here) on ABP Majha's official X (formerly Twitter) account, featuring another quote from Thackeray in Marathi: “They are not satisfied by gathering all those characterless, corrupt, and traitors. So they need someone with a surname, and that too they have taken on rent.”

Screenshot of posts shared by ABP Majha in 2022 and 2024 containing the same viral graphic. 
(Source: Facebook/X/Screenshot)

Logically Facts also reviewed Thackeray’s social media accounts and found no quote demanding classical language status for Urdu. A Google search yielded no relevant results or media reports quoting the alleged statement, further confirming its inauthenticity.

We have contacted ABP for a response, and this check will be updated once we receive it.

The verdict

A fake statement falsely attributed to Uddhav Thackeray is circulating online, claiming he has demanded classical language status for Urdu like that of Marathi. The graphic is edited, and we found no evidence supporting such statements.