Deepa Gahlot lists Hindi biopics about Indian political leaders: Some worked, some did not, but they managed to avoid controversy.
According to insiders, "talks are on" between the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena at "an exploratory level".
'Isn't it hypocritical that we who berate the religious minorities day after day for not 'assimilating fully' with the majority, whatever we mean by that, are loath to do the same when it comes to language?'
Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde, camping in Guwahati, has claimed that he has the support of 34 MLAs of his party and passed a resolution on Wednesday evening reinstating himself as the leader of the Shiv Sena legislative party, a day after he was removed from the post by the Sena leadership.
Holding Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav responsible for sidelining Maharashtrians in railway jobs, the Shiv Sena on Monday said this was occurring because the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief has a 'serpent's grip' on the Railways.
Thackeray did not even spare Hindi and English channels and he barred them from covering his press conference, alleging they were giving a distorted picture about him.
Both the Shiv Senas - one of Maharashtra Chief minister Eknath Shinde and the other of Uddhav Thackeray - marked their foundation day on Monday, with attack on each other.
'Mumbai belongs to me...us, Balasaheb... It belongs to Bharatiyas. Don't try to take it away... and please remember, there is a Rashtra in Maharashtra... but there is no Marathi there.'
Accusing the chief minister of watering down the Cabinet decision taken on Wednesday to make local language clause mandatory for 4000 new taxi permits to be issued by the state, Thackaray said: "More than the welfare of the people Congress CMs are more concerned about what 'Madam' (Sonia Gandhi) would think. Our CM should do a part time job with CMs from southern states to practise how to know to remain steadfast in their decisions.'
Dominic Xavier offers his take on Raj Thackeray's latest political ploy and wonders if this Thackeray versus Thackeray skit will help the BJP finally achieve its goal of ejecting the Maha Vikas Aghadi government from a state that has largely been insulated from the communal disharmony sweeping across parts of north India.
The Maharashtra Navanirman Sena claimed a major victory on Monday with the state government announcing that a committee will be set up at the district level, under the chairmanship of district collectors, to ensure that Maharashtrians get 80 per cent of jobs in industries.
'The BJP's solo aim in Mumbai and Maharashtra is to finish off the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's NCP.'
The 'flaming torch' symbol was used by the Sena in the past during civic body and assembly polls.
Maharashtra NCP's chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of following the use-and-throw policy and added that Raj Thackeray "will have to pay for his own karma".
'BJP is cutting him down to size as he is trying to emerge a Hindutva national hero.'
Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore reports that many want Uddhav and Raj Thackeray to bury the hatchet and form a united front for the betterment of the Marathi manoos
'When one says Shivaji Park, it brings to mind the Shiv Sena led by Balasaheb Thackeray. And that Shiv Sena is now Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena'
The strategic move will also bolster the BJP's push to decimate Uddhav Thakceray-led party by depriving it of its pet Hindutva and ethnic sub-nationalism plank.
'The pure grace and proportion in Manoj Bajpayee's performance shows he knows his art inside out,' applauds Sukanya Verma.
'Not just 12 MPs, but 22 former Shiv Sena MLAs as well as four MLAs who are still in Uddhav Thackeray's camp will be switching to our side gradually.'
Eknath Shinde has been made chief minister to crush the Shiv Sena totally, completely, wholly, point out Sunil Gatade and Venkatesh Kesari.
Taking a fresh swipe against the North Indian population in the state, the Shiv Sena on Monday alleged that their burgeoning population in the metropolis was adding to the travel woes of 'Marathi Manoos'
Amid standoff with ally its ally -- the Bharatiya Janata Party -- over formation of the next government in Maharashtra, Raut is scheduled to meet with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday evening.
You won't take away anything from Thackeray when you leave the theatre, says Hemant Waje, reviewing the Marathi version of the biopic.
Can Nawazuddin Siddiqui bring Bal Thackeray's powerful personality to life? Syed Firdaus Ashraf watches the Thackeray trailer to find out.
'Our fight is against his political masters, the BJP and Devendra Fadnavis.'
'Uddhav has told the cops to crack down hard on the MNS agitation if MNS activists try to vitiate the communal harmony in the state.'
Rediff.com showcases some of the cartoons drawn by late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray
'Hindutva doesn't teach you to stab someone in the back.'
This was not Sharad Pawar or Prithviraj Chavan speaking. It was Uddhav Thackeray, the undisputed chief of the Shiv Sena!
Why Aaditya Thackeray's decision to plunge into electoral politics is significant.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi tells Rediff.com's Savera R Someshwar he is shocked that the Marathi Manoos, for whom Balasaheb Thackeray did so much, are raising objections to a samadhi to the Shiv Sena patriarch at Mumbai's Shivaji Park.
In a controversial move, the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra has decided that autorickshaw permits in future will be issued to only those who can speak Marathi language.
After entering into a war of words with Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and actor Shahrukh Khan, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray has attacked Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for acting as Pakistan's home minister.
Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, on Friday, lambasted Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan for backtracking on his statement on making knowledge of Marathi mandatory for renewing taxi permits in Mumbai and likened the political turnaround to Michael Jackson's "moonwalk".
A hoarding an MNS leader posted in Mahim, north-central Mumbai, to mark the first anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks, omits National Security Guard commandos Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Havaldar Gajendra Singh Bisht who lost their lives battling terrorists at the Taj Mahal hotel and Nariman House respectively.
"My brand of politics will work", thundered Raj Thackeray after his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena romped home with an impressive 13 seats in the first Assembly polls the party contested.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has attacked industrialist Mukesh Ambani over his recent statement that Mumbai belongs to all Indians. "Marathi people have as much right over Mumbai as Mukesh Ambani has over the Reliance companies," Thackeray said in an article published in Sena mouthpiece Saamana.
In a rebuff to the "Marathi Manoos" plank of Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray's MNS, batting maestro and iconic Maharashtrian Sachin Tendulkar today said, "Mumbai is for all Indians."
'Criticism of Uddhav suits the NCP perfectly.' 'NCP members head key ministries in Maharashtra like home, finance and health, yet as chief minister it is Uddhav who is criticised for the state government's shortcomings.' 'Few hold NCP chief Sharad Pawar accountable for the performance of NCP ministers,' argues Sanjeev Nayyar.
