By IANS,
Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray Thursday warned that if Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders continued to make irresponsible statements on north Indian migrants, the Marathis could resort to extreme reactions and even riots.
Castigating the “politics played in the name of north Indians versus Marathis by organising festivals like Chhat Puja”, Thackeray said that statements of leaders like Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh, city MP Sanjay Nirupam of the Congress and SP state chief Abu Asim Azmi had the potential to incite Marathis.
Raj Thackeray’s sharp reaction came in response to statements by Kripashankar Singh and Azmi at the Chhat Puja celebrations two days ago that “Mumbai does not belong to anybody’s father” but to all who live and work here.
“I would like to inform Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Home Minister R.R. Patil, that if the Marathis resort to violence, then we should not be blamed,” Raj Thackeray told reporters.
He urged the three to immediately intervene in the matter before the situation goes out of control.
The MNS chief’s remarks came hours after Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray asserted in the party mouthpiece “Saamna” that migrants were not invited by anybody to the state and that “Mumbai would always belong to the Marathis” and not outsiders.
Bal Thackeray also challenged Kripashankar Singh, Azmi and Nirupam to prove who was “the father of Mumbai” before making such statements.
Raj Thackeray also hit out at Hindi television channels and said that the MNS had started monitoring their content.
“If we find their coverage to be one-sided or biased, we shall not allow them to beam here,” he warned.
Reiterating that it was the Shiv Sena and its executive president Uddhav Thackeray who encouraged and nurtured Nirupam, Raj Thackeray said now it had become difficult for them (Sena) to handle him (Nirupam).
“It was Uddhav (Thackeray) who encouraged Nirupam to conduct Chhat Pujas in Mumbai and the same Uddhav used to visit (Kripashankar) Singh’s residence during Ganeshotsav. Look at the consequences of all that,” Raj Thackeray said.
The MNS chief claimed that when he had spoken on the migrants’ issue a couple of years ago, he was gagged, prohibited from speaking in public and even jailed.
He referred to the clashes between north Indians and Marathis around two-and-half years ago in some parts of the state.
“What is the government now doing about the inflammatory statements by (Kripashankar) Singh, Azmi or Nirupam,” he asked.