By IANS,
Mumbai : Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray can face trouble for his remarks Saturday targeting north Indians settled in Maharashtra, as police have been analysing transcripts of the speech.
“We are following the due process of the law. The speech transcripts shall be analysed by the legal department and if anything objectionable is found, we shall proceed in the matter according to the law,” Joint Police Commissioner (Law & Order) K.L. Prasad told IANS Monday.
He, however, declined to specify a time frame within which police would initiate any action.
In his Shivaji Park rally Saturday night, Raj Thackeray, the estranged nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, had launched a fresh verbal offensive against north Indian migrants to Maharashtra and had singled out some prominent individuals.
Among other things, he called for celebrating only Maharashtra Day (the state’s foundation day, May 1) in the state and said no other celebrations, including Uttar Pradesh Day or Chhath Puja, should be allowed.
He even challenged the state government to arrest him for making this statement during his 75-minute speech.
Raj Thackeray’s outburst has attracted severe criticism from several political parties around the country.
In February, the MNS had launched an anti-migrant campaign all over Maharashtra. It had led to sporadic incidents of violence in Mumbai and some other parts of the state and an exodus of north Indian migrant labour from different parts of the state.
He was later arrested and released on bail, while Mumbai Police had slapped a gag order on him against making provocative speeches. The Saturday rally was his first speech on a public platform after the gag order expired.