By IANS
Mumbai : Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh has lodged a police complaint against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for disrupting his party’s rally and attacking workers.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Brijesh Singh said Amar Singh filed his complaint late Sunday, after MNS activists went on the rampage during a Samajwadi Party rally addressed by Mulayam Singh Yadav at Shivaji Park in Dadar, central Mumbai, which is considered to be the turf of the Shiv Sena.
Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan’s residence at Juhu ‘Prateeksha’ was also attacked by MNS activists Sunday night. They came on motorbikes and hurled empty glass bottles at the actor’s former home.
The MNS chief’s controversial remarks on people from north India had led to clashes in several parts of Maharashtra Sunday.
MNS activists assaulted several taxi drivers, who are mostly from north India. Many shops were forcibly shut down by the violent mob just before the rally – which was also addressed by United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) leaders, including Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah.
The MNS activists targeted taxis sporting Samajwadi Party flags and damaged at least two taxis in the area and assaulted a cabbie. The violent incidents happened in full view of Mumbai police who allegedly did nothing to stop the MNS supporters.
City Samajwadi Party president Farooq Ghosi told IANS: “On Saturday, MNS goons disrupted Amar Singh’s press conference and on Sunday they threatened Bhojpuri singer Manoj Tiwari for agreeing to perform at the rally.”
Anti-north Indian comments and verbal attacks on the Bachchan family by Raj Thackeray, the estranged nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, over the last few days have resulted in tension between various ethnic groups settled in Mumbai.
Last week, Raj lashed out at the north Indians on different issues, including performing Chhat Puja, and demanded that they must only celebrate Maharashtrian festivals.
At another forum, Raj launched a diatribe against the Bachchan family for being more concerned about Uttar Pradesh than Maharashtra. He questioned the decision to construct a girls school in Uttar Pradesh named after Amitabh’s daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and said: “Are there no girls in Maharashtra? Why can’t they construct a school here?”
While Amitabh Bachchan refrained from comment, his wife and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan hit out: “For me Shri Bal Thackeray is a like a father and Uddhav is like a son. I don’t know any other Thackeray.”