By IANS
Mumbai : The impending arrest of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray kept Maharashtra on edge Wednesday with nightlong violence witnessed in Mumbai as activists of the group went on the rampage. Tension mounted around noon as policemen entered Thackeray’s house and shops shut down.
MNS workers pelted taxis and buses with stones. In Goregaon, northwest Mumbai, for instance, several taxis, which are usually driven by north Indians were targeted, as were state-run buses.
“The central government has sent the central security forces to Mumbai following the tension over the possible arrest of Raj Thackeray,” Joint Commissioner Of Police (Law & Order) K.L. Prasad told IANS.
The Rapid Action Force and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed at various parts of Mumbai along with the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) who are on high alert, Prasad added.
On Monday, Mumbai Police filed suo motu complaints invoking non-bailable sections of the law against Thackeray, nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi.
Raj Thackeray Tuesday refused to accept a notice connected to the complaint against him lodged by the Shivaji Park police.
The MNS tirade against outsiders, specifically north Indians settled in the city, has vitiated the political atmosphere in Maharashtra. MNS and Samajwadi Party activists have clashed in several parts of the state. Sporadic acts of violence targeting north Indians have continued unabated for 10 days.
If arrested, Thackeray will be produced before the central suburban Vikhroli metropolitan court where security has been beefed up. Since Tuesday, MNS activists have crowded the Vikhroli court.
Security outside Raj Thackeray’s residence at Shivaji Park, Dadar in central Mumbai, has also been increased.