By IANS,
Mumbai: Mumbai Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam Thursday dared the Thackeray cousins – Uddhav and Raj – to give up their security and walk around unescorted in the city.
“If they have the courage, they should give up their police security and show how they can move around in the city,” Nirupam told reporters here.
The MP was referring to allegations in a section of the media that after his explosive remarks earlier this week, he had been given additional security cover by police.
Nirupam claimed that he would request Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik to withdraw the security given to him. The MP said he would happily move without the security ring surrounding him.
Nirupam said Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray should give up their security if they have courage.
Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and Raj Thakeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) earlier attacked Nirupam after he warned that north Indians could shut down the city if they decided to rest for a day.
Reiterating his statement, Nirupam said that north Indians were the backbone of Mumbai, engaged in services like supplying milk, newspapers, vegetables, fruits, cabs, security and laundry. If they went off for a day, the city would be left paralysed.
“What is wrong in this statement,” he said.
Nirupam’s remarks created a furore and Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray warned that if such a thing was attempted, Marathis would “bash his teeth in”, while the MNS called Nirupam “mad” for his utterances.
The Congress distanced itself from Nirupam’s remarks, citing these as his “personal opinion”. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan of the Congress assured that “nobody would be allowed to shut down Mumbai”.
Saying that closing down Mumbai was not any party’s copyright, Nirupam said that instead of attacking north Indians, their (Shiv Sena and MNS) leaders must give up their security.