World | India
Maharashtra unlikely to act against Thackeray
The Maharashtra government is unlikely to take action against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for his tirade against North Indian migrants in his speech at a public rally last week.
- By Pamela Raghunath, Correspondent
- Published: 00:43 May 9, 2008
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is unlikely to take action against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for his tirade against North Indian migrants in his speech at a public rally last week.
Though the transcripts of Raj's speech have been sent to the law and judiciary department to be examined, Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil, in charge of home affairs, feels that there are no grounds under for action.
Though the government was tough on Thackeray in February when there were attacks by MNS activists on North Indians, this time no case can be built against him as there were no riots after the public rally on Saturday when North Indian migrants were once again attacked in his speech.
Despite being warned by the police, he targeted the migrants with comments like: "If we [Marathi-speaking people] open the third eye, you [North Indians] will be incinerated," and "I declare here today that no other day except Maharashtra Day will be celebrated in Maharashtra."
He had also picked on Amitabh Bachchan and his family for favouring Uttar Pradesh.
According to sources, Patil is wondering how Thackeray can be taken to task when his uncle, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, was never arrested despite making provocative speeches, especially against Muslims.
While the government is in a fix, Congress party leaders are gunning for firm action against him. The Congress spokesman and leader of the migrant community Sanjay Nirupam has appealed to the state government to take legal action against Thackeray. He has requested the government not to take any decision in haste but "rather, the government must make a foolproof case against Thackeray.
Proper legal opinion from a competent authority should be taken so that Thackeray cannot get away with his sinister deeds to spoil Mumbai's harmony." Mumbai Congress president R.R. Singh blasted Thackeray's double standards of calling Bachchan to inaugurate his Shiv Udyog Sena, when he was with the Shiv Sena before he broke away to form the MNS, and now criticising him. Meanwhile, Thackeray's party has put up posters showing North Indians as mosquitoes and the MNS as a mosquito-repellent spray that drives the mosquitoes from Maharashtra.
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