Fuelling the language row further in Maharashtra, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Monday asked taxi drivers from the Hindi-speaking states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to be conversant in Marathi within 40 days or return to their native homes.
Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray has equated nephew Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena with a carbon copy of the outfit he founded in 1966.
In a setback for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the Bombay high court on Thursday refused to grant permission to the Raj Thackeray-led party to conduct a 'Marathi Food Festival' from May 3-10 at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.
Hazare began his fast on January 30 at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, demanding appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs at the Centre and in Maharashtra and resolution of farmers' issues.
The clash between SP and MNS activists in Mumbai took place before the start of the rally at Shivaji Park, where top leaders of UNPA were due to speak.
Maharashtra Navnirmkan Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday shot down the suggestion of his party joining the grand alliance of Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party- Republican Party of India to take on the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra and asserted his outfit will capture power in the state on its own strength.
Justifying his party's demand for autonomy for states, as spelled out in its 'blue-print' for Maharashtra's development, Raj Thackeray on Monday said the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena would not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections henceforth.
'Praful Patel, Dilip Walse-Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal are not the ones who will go with Ajit Pawar'
In a resolution adopted at the ongoing 20th Congress of the party in Hyderabad on Tuesday, the CPI strongly condemned 'the divisive anti-national agitation started by MNS and other forces' in Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's student wing chief was arrested in connection with the death of a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited employee, who was killed in a stone-pelting incident, in Nashik on Thursday. The incident occurred while MNS activists were protesting the arrest of their chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai. Ambadas Haribhau Dharrao, 55, was returning home from Ojhar when he was hit by stones near Adgaon, police said.
An employee of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was killed in stone-pelting, allegedly by Maharashtra Navanirman Sena activists, who were protesting the arrest of their party chief Raj Thackeray in Nahsik today. The victim, who was returning home from Ojhar, died after he was hit by stones on the company bus near Adgaon, police said.
The PML-N, however, rejected the demand and claimed that it was winning Thursday's elections.
The VHP on Sunday dismissed as 'fake and baseless' the reports that its activists and those of the Bajrang Dal will participate in an event to be organised by the MNS to play 'Hanuman Chalisa' on loudspeakers outside the mosques in Maharashtra on May 3.
While people voted in a fifth round that will set the tone as this election rounds into the straight, and while Modi on the stump chews the cud of personal grievances and hackneyed promises that have long since passed their use-by date, there is a rogue wave rising -- what damage it will do, we will know 16 days from today, observes Prem Panicker.
Talking to reporters in Mumbai, MNS general secretary Shirish Parkar said that the party would again raise the issue on 'World Marathi Day'. Admitting that the condition of Marathi language was bad, he quoted a couplet of veteran Marathi poet Suresh Bhat for the same. He also criticised the Central government for ignoring Maharashtra in the Railway Budget, which was presented by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday
The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to send back 25 lakh Biharis in the city to their home state.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena corporator Prakash Darekar and six other party workers have been arrested in connection with Sunday's incident in which the set of filmmaker Rohan Sippy's untitled film and vanity van of actor John Abraham were allegedly damaged in suburban Borivali, police said.
The demonstration was staged at the Alka Talkies Square in Pune where the women lit the earthen stove fire using wood and kerosene and offered the tea without milk to the bystanders, even as party workers raised anti-government slogans denouncing the fuel price hike.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackrey on Monday 1came under all round fire for threatening to throw out Biharis from Maharashtra even as a case was filed against him in Nalanda for his hate speech.
Thackeray also slammed the "Owaisi brothers" (AIMIM leaders) for allegedly ridiculing the names of Hindu gods.
Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. Counting of votes will be held on June 4.
The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, whose elected members assaulted Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi in the Maharashtra assembly for taking oath in Hindi, on Tuesday warned him on speaking against Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday ruled out seeking support from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by Raj Thackeray to form government in Maharashtra.
Thackeray said he has to undergo a surgery on June 1 and after recovering from it, he would again address a public meeting.
However, incumbent Chief Minster Ashok Chavan said the Congress-NCP alliance will be looking at the Republican Party of India for possible outside support if it fell short of the majority mark.
Zenda, an upcoming Marathi movie based on the feud between Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray has been termed as biased by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists for portraying their leader in "bad light".
In a blow to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's apparent attempt to score brownie points over its arch rival Shiv Sena, the Bombay high court on Friday refused to grant permission to the Raj Thackeray-led party to hold a public meeting at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission to allot a common symbol of 'Railway engine' to Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for contesting the coming assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Thackeray said that Ajit Pawar should pay his uncle the same kind of attention he pays outside.
'BJP is cutting him down to size as he is trying to emerge a Hindutva national hero.'
In 2008, Thackeray was booked under Sections 109 and 117 (abetment of offence) of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly making inflammatory speeches.
'We don't feel that the law and order situation will turn bad because of our agitation.'
The Raj Thackeray-led MNS set up a stall to sell chicken meat as a symbolic protest, whereas Shiv Sena workers tore off the civic body notices.
'The BJP's solo aim in Mumbai and Maharashtra is to finish off the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's NCP.'
Thackeray's tweet came amid reports that he is unwell.
Flagging his stand on the sons-of-soil issue, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said on Wednesday that if Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab could learn Marathi in a year then why can't Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi who has been living in Mumbai for years.
An FIR was registered against Thackeray under Section 188 (disobedience to order by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code at the time for violation of a police notice asking him not to stay within the limits of Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation in Thane district.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has appealed to his party workers to not perform 'maha aarti' on May 3, the day of Eid ul Fitr and Akshaya Tritiya.
In an open letter, he asked people to lodge complaint with the police by dialling 100 if they are distributed by the sound of 'azaan'.
An offence has been registered against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly wielding a sword during a public rally in Maharashtra's Thane city on Tuesday, the police said on Wednesday.
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