Team Anna appeared to be divided on Raj Thackeray on Thursday with Anna Hazare praising the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray saying his work "appeals" to him and its key member Prashant Bhushan disapproving his politics.
Raj Thackeray's decision to support Modi as PM did not appeal voters. Sanjay Jog reports from Mumbai.
The ruling Congress party in Maharashtra is seeking party general secretary Rahul Gandhi's help to take on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray in order to consolidate its position by luring youths in the party organisation.
Speaking to reporters at Ranchi on Thursday, the RJD leader said that if possible, he would go to Mumbai to perform Chhat puja. Responding to Prasad's comments, MNS spokesperson and former MLC Shishir Shinde said, "The people of Maharashtra will respond when the time comes. You will also see action from MNS."
Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been in the news for its aggressive stance against 'outsiders,' who the MNS says, deny employment opportunities to Maharashtrians. "We are not opposed to other communities, this is a wrong perception about us," MNS leader Nitin Sardesai insists in an exclusive interview with Rediff.com
Known for its abhorrence of Samajwadi Party Member of Legislative Assembly Abu Azmi, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is likely to back the Congress candidate in the by-election to the Bhiwandi assembly seat in Maharashtra against the SP leader's son Farhan.
'BJP is cutting him down to size as he is trying to emerge a Hindutva national hero.'
Pressing his party's demand for employment to 'sons of soil', Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has warned the post master general to give priority to locals for the post office jobs or else cancel the recruitment procedure.
Pressing his party's demand for employment to 'sons of soil', Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has warned the postmaster general to give priority to locals for the post office jobs or else cancel the recruitment procedure.
Suspected Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists on Monday attacked the office of diversified conglomerate Indiabulls in Camp area of the city, second such incident since party chief Raj Thackeray yesterday accused the company of 'usurping' water meant for farmers for its power plant in the parched district.
A day after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray received death threats from a 'Bihari' organisation, the Maharashtra government has provided him with 'Y' security cover.
The ongoing agitation in Kolhapur against levy of toll found its echo in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Monday with two Shiv Sena members of legislative assembly from the area being suspended and physically evicted for disrupting the proceedings.
Azmi told journalists in Parliament House on the opening day of the budget session of Parliament that all those indulging in statements that disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of Parliament should be imprisoned for one year and their parties should be de-recognised by the Election Commission.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has opposed the scrapping of regional language paper in the Union Public Service Commission examination and is likely to take up this issue firmly with the Centre shortly.
"The Home Ministry is providing central forces to the state government as requested by it. Rapid Action Force units are already positioned in Mumbai," a senior Home Ministry official said.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday warned multiplexes which are not showing Marathi films despite government directives. "Prepare a list of multiplexes that are not showing Marathi films from Wednesday," Raj told his partymen on Tuesday at the third anniversary of the MNS Cine Workers Association. Despite the government resolution which makes showing of Marathi films compulsory, the multiplexes are breaking norms and this cannot be tolerated, he said.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Monday softened his stand against the Nationalist Congress Party and also questioned the rationale of playing IPL cricket matches in the state, when it faces a severe drought.
The Maharashtra government is seeking the opinion of the state's Advocate General on the issue of the arrest of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray for his remarks against north Indians, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Thursday. "For an arrest warrant, we are seeking legal opinion. The police will take action according to advise," he said. Deshmukh said it was the government's job to provide all residents of Mumbai protection.
Approximately 25 youths, suspected to be MNS members, attacked the office of the Mumbai Taximen's Union in Central Mumbai on Thursday morning. MNS workers have been targeting taxi drivers since the past few days, but the police are yet to confirm the perpetrators of today's attack. Union president A I Qadros had earlier said that the taxi drivers would go on strike if they were not compensated for the attacks.
With the Centre asking the state government to take proper steps to maintain law and order, Deshmukh said stern action would be taken against the guilty and there will be full protection for those living in Mumbai.
Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, whose members assaulted Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi in the Maharashtra assembly, on Wednesday said they would apologise to the House for their action but not to the Member of Legislative assembly."We will apologise in the assembly as it was not our intention to malign the image of the House. However, there is no question of apologising to Azmi," MNS leader Atul Sarpotdar said.
MNS members assaulted SM MLA Abu Azmi over taking the oath in Hindi.
The state has total 8,98,39,600 voters, including 1,06,76,013 in the age group of 18 to 25 years. A total of 6.5 lakh polling personnel have been deployed at 96,661 polling booths across the state.
Before Maharashtra assembly commence its first session of Legislature, a political debate has started between the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and its rival Samajwadi Party with the SP MLA Abu Asim Azmi demanding the House agenda in Hindi.
On an average, Mumbai airport handles around 30,000 international passengers and about 190 international flight movements.
A court in New Delhi on Monday directed Delhi Police to lodge an FIR against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly branding Muslims from north India as insurgents and threatening them to throw out of the state.
In a relief to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, the Delhi high court Wednesday stayed the execution of non-bailable warrants issued against him in 2008 for his alleged anti-Bihari remarks.
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".
Raj said MNS would contest all elections in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday said if north Indian-origin leaders in Mumbai did not stop making inflammatory statements, there would be "riots".
Raj Thackeray's political party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has attacked Amitabh Bachchan once again. This time, they mocked him through a poster, for going back on his decision to donate his agricultural land to farmers in the Pune district.
Noted Bhojpuri singer and Bollywood actor Manoj Tiwari on Monday said that he would prefer to sacrifice his life to safeguard the interests of Biharis and North Indians living in Mumbai than yielding to pressure of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.
Cutting across party lines, leaders in Bihar on Sunday reacted strongly over Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's statement where he blamed 'Bihari migrants' being responsible for the recent gangrape in Delhi.
Rahul Raj, was killed in a shootout with the police at suburban Kurla after he fired indiscriminately and threatened passengers in the bus. Rahul reportedly claimed that he had come to the city to kill Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray.
Thackeray, in an editorial published in party mouthpiece Saamana, said, "The Karunanidhi government has issued an ordinance making Tamil compulsory in all schools in the state." "Lalu, who has turned Bihar into hell, should hold a mela of Biharis in Tamil Nadu, ruled by his ally at the Centre, to champion the cause of North Indians there."
Public prosecutor Ajay Mishar's ride in Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's car has triggered a controversy with lawyers saying such acts raise doubts whether the Maharashtra government is serious in prosecuting Thackeray in the 2008 riot case.
Thackeray took the accused to Patil at his Malabar Hill residence because he believes that all of them were innocent and had therefore surrendered, MNS sources said.
A 19-year-old boy from neighbouring Thane district, detained on suspicion of posting an "objectionable" Facebook comment against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, was let off after police found that a "fake account" was used by some persons in the teenager's name.
A teenage boy was detained by police in neighbouring Thane district for questioning on Wednesday in connection with an allegedly vulgar post on Facebook against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray.
'He didn't tell me 'well played' ever'