Raj Thakre allowed to run amok in Maharashtra?

Raj spits fresh venom at N Indians

The Government of Maharashtra has been indulgent towards Raj Thakre and his antics.

This is a case of local politics triumphing over peace in the state. Raj Thakre was cast out from Shiv Sena, and is keen to make a mark as a demogogue.

Congress and NCP feel that he would cut in to Shiv Sena votes.

Lalu and his henchmen are far away from Mumbai, and have nothing to lose in inciting and abetting violence.

Amitabh Bachan is an easy target and is facing the heat.

Says Will Allow Only Maharashtra Day To Be Celebrated In The State

Mumbai: Defying police warning on making provocative speeches, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday resumed his war of words against north Indians, saying he would not allow them to destroy the culture of Maharashtra. Daring the government to arrest him, Raj said only Maharashtra Day should be celebrated in Maharashtra.
‘‘Let the government arrest me if it wants. I am not afraid. I maintain my stand that only Maharashtra Day should be celebrated in Maharashtra,’’ he told a rally here to mark MNS’ second anniversary.
Justifying what he said about superstar Amitabh Bachchan, he took a swipe at his actor-wife Jaya for her comments on him (Raj) and scoffed at railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Raj ostensibly was mocking at Jaya for her comments at a press conference in which she had said the only Thackeray whom she knew was Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
The MNS was formed after he broke away from Shiv Sena following differences with his cousin and the party’s executive president Uddhav Thackeray. The Maharashtragovernment has said that it will examine the transcript of MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s speech, where he re-launched his tirade against north Indians. ‘‘We have taken a serious note of his speech. We will examine transcript of the speech to enable us to proceed,’’ a senior government official said.
Addressing a crowded public meeting at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, the place where his uncle and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray addresses his annual Dussehra rallies, Raj warned if the ‘dadagiri’ of north Indians in Mumbai and Maharashtra continued, he would be compelled to make them leave the metropolis.
The ruling coalition is keen on MNS growing so that it will eat into the Shiv Sena’s vote bank. Congress and NCP are rather shaken by the tremendous response which Uddhav’s rallies have been evoking all over the state.
Whether it is Beed, Jalgaon or Pune, Uddhav’s meetings, where issues like farmers’ suicides and grim power situation are taken up by him, have been a runaway success, according to police reports. Even in Kolhapur, which is regarded as an NCP bastion, Uddhav’s recent meeting was a huge success.
“There are Punjabis, Sindhis, Parsis and all kind of people. Why don’t we feel threatened by them. There is Garba, Dandiya, Durga Puja. But I have never felt that they are showing strength. But why during Chhath Puja we feel that they are showing their strength,” Raj told his supporters at the rally.
He also justified his stance against Amitabh Bachchan whom he had accused of being more loyal to his home state Uttar Pradesh than Maharashtra. He also claimed that all anti-social elements in Mumbai are from North India. Raj also used Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss’s statement, where he had said that UP and Bihar were responsible for spreading polio, to target the North Indians.
“Ramadoss said that polio is spreading from UP. Did I say that? And Amitabh keeps coming in ads to take polio drops,” he added “The Maharashtrains are united since they were suffering daily. So that is what I said. These media and bhaiyyas (people from UP and Bihar) are threatening us. Mayawati and Mulayam are trying to take over Maharashtra,” he said
He also dared the government to arrest him saying only the celebration of Maharashtra Day would be allowed in the state.

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