By Abdul Hameed, TwoCIrcles.net
Mumbai: That the anti-North Indians campaign has not yet died in Mumbai was evident on Sunday when nearly ten North Indian employees of an ice-cream manufacturing unit in the suburban Jogeshwari East were attacked allegedly by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers.
As per the media reports the Jogeshwari police arrested on Monday four men in this regard, one of them being MNS activist.
The police reportedly said that the incident took place between the accused and the victims as the latter did not maintain cleanliness in the surroundings of the former’s office.
But the Samajwadi Party spokesperson Abdul Qadir Chaudhary alleged that the move was one of the manifestations of hatred towards north Indians. He told that some people refused to join the MNS election rally held on Sunday, so they were beaten up with bamboos and sticks when the rally was finished.
Dinesh Agrawal, owner of the ice cream centre, said he did not know about the reason behind the assault, adding that his workers were beaten apparently because they were North Indians. ‘MNS always hates North Indians,’ he said.
The incident assumes political importance in the run up to Lok Sabha elections. The SP has fielded Abu Asim Azmi from the Northwest Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency. Azmi reportedly said that if any North Indian is beaten up his party will reply using constitutional means.