Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday announced formation of two labour unions in the railways and aviation sector.
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.
MNS workers will gather at every toll booth and ensure that four, three and two-wheelers are not charged tolls, Thackeray said.
The mortal remains of Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde, who died in a road accident in Delhi, were flown to Mumbai on Tuesday evening.
Taking a jibe at Shiv Sena and MNS for their campaign against "outsiders" in Maharashtra, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Thursday advised the Bal Thackeray family to "strictly" follow his Art of Living regimes to calm their nerves. "Thackeray parivaar ko Art of Living ki sakht zaroorat hai (The Thackeray family strictly need Art of Living lessons)," Ravi Shankar told reporters.
Maharashtra Chief Minster Ashok Chavan on Thursday condemned Uddhav and Raj Thackeray for 'touching a new low' in politics with their comments on All India Congress Committee general secretary Rahul Gandhi. "Nowhere in Indian politics has such a low level of personal allegations been witnessed. I condemn their (Uddhav and Raj Thackeray) utterances," said Chavan.
The Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra government on Wednesday, as to whether it found any evidence of involvement of top leaders of Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Congress in incidents of political vandalism in the state in recent past.
Aaditya Thackeray had a brief meeting with Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence in New Delhi.
Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi, who shot into limelight for defying Maharastra Navnirman Sena supremo Raj Thakeray's diktat on taking oath in state assembly only in Marathi, was all praises for master blaster Sachin Tendulkar for declaring that he was an Indian first and then a Marathi.
"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.
Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly was continuing in brisk pace in Mumbai on Tuesday. 20 per cent polling had already been completed in the state till noon.
Commuters had a hard time getting to their offices in Mumbai due to the strike by the Sharad Rao-led Mumbai Autorickshawmen's Union, seeking a hike in minimum fares.
Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray has said that he does not give importance to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, started by cousin Raj Thackeray, and neither do the people.
Sonia, who was addressing a convention of Congress functionaries and peoples' representatives in Maharashtra, said, "Here (in Maharashtra) regionalism is being encouraged. We have to fight the forces of regionalism, which are dividing society for their vested interests." The Congress president also asked party workers to work together and strengthen the party.
The Congress which has set its eyes on wresting the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Asia's largest civic body, from the Shiv Sena-BJP in the 2012, is alarmed by the possible Muslim support to Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
The Sena received a boost on Friday with 3 Independent corporators joining the party, raising its total tally in the BMC to 87.
The coming weeks are sure to have a lot of drama unfolding in Maharashtra, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
With the Aurangabad police on Tuesday registering an offence against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Raj Thackeray over his speech against loudspeakers on mosques, some party leaders slammed the Maharashtra government and said they will hit the streets in case of further action against their party head.
Leader of opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Eknath Khadse on Tuesday rubbished allegations levelled against him by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray of 'settlement' with the government saying that he was prepared for a probe by a House committee.
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.
In a video posted on Twitter, Dutt said Aaditya Thackeray is like "a younger brother to me".
Thackeray's tweet came amid reports that he is unwell.
Raising slogans against MNS chief Raj Thackeray, the activists of the Rashtravadi Shiv Sena came to the Maharashtra Sadan and damaged its reception counter. The activists said they were protesting against the attacks on north Indians by MNS activists in Maharashtra.
Contesting the Kalyan-Dombivli civic polls for the first time, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena emerged triumphant, getting 26 seats in the 107-member House which saw a fractured verdict
Tinsel town beauties added glamour to the ongoing Navratri festivities doing what they do best -- dance.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena state unit general secretary Vasant Gite was detained in Nashik on Wednesday, as a preventive measure, ahead of the possible arrest of party chief Raj Thackeray. Three MNS leaders have also been taken into preventive custody, Police Commissioner S M Sayyad told PTI. With this, the total number of arrests has gone up to 126 since Tuesday, he said.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray Tuesday said his uncle and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray had asked him to stop using his photos banners, at "the behest of someone else".
A Mumbai court on Wednesday cancelled the warrant issued against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray after he appeared in a case registered against him for violence during Railway Recruitment Board examinations at a college in suburban Bandra in October 2008.
Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers on Monday went on the rampage, vandalising toll plazas in different parts of the state following their leader's diktat not to pay the levy and "thrash" those who raise a voice against it.
A Delhi court on Thursday issued summons against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for his alleged hate speeches against north Indians and instigating violence against them on various occasions.Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Manish Yaduvanshi directed that a summons be issued against Raj Thackeray for September 28.
Apparently eyeing a larger role in Maharashtra politics, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is now making attempts to shed its "anti-North Indian" image by reaching out to the community, which accounts for sizeable number of voters in the state.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray will not participate in the all-party meeting called by the state government to resolve the loudspeaker dispute, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said on Monday.
A court has issued a bailable warrant against a Delhi police official for failing to file a status report regarding lodging of an FIR against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly branding north Indian Muslims as insurgents and threatening to throw them out of Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena would not participate in Thane bandh on Thursday, called to protest the civic administration's demolition drive against illegal and dilapidated structures, party chief Raj Thackeray said on Wednesday.
Member of Parliament Abu Asim Azmi has announced the setting up of a helpline for north Indians and proposed to start self-defence courses for migrants
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray today criticised Asaram Bapu for allegedly wasting water at a pre-Holi celebration event even as the state has been reeling under worst drought.
The Bihar Assembly on Tuesday strongly protested manhandling of students and parents hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in Satara allegedly by workers of Maharashtra's Navnirman Sena of Raj Thackray.
After hijacking the Shiv Sena's Marathi agenda, MNS wants to sustain the campaign by offering free Marathi classes to the non-Marathis in the city. "Marathi is the official language of the state and non-Maharashtrians should at least know how to communicate in Marathi," MNS district president (South Mumbai) Arvind Gavade told PTI. The MNS is planning to start the classes from March. There will be three lectures per week and the number of lectures can be increased.
Lalu, who was in Ranchi to address the 'Chetna' rally organised by his party -- the Rashtriya Janata Dal -- made the comment when he was asked by newspersons about the alleged anti-north India statements by leaders of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil on Tuesday denied Independent MP Navneet Rana's accusation that she was ill-treated in the police custody after her and her husband's arrest on Saturday.
