In an unexpected development, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray announced his party's public support on Tuesday to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopinath Munde who is attempting to retain his Beed Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray underwent hip replacement surgery at the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Monday, the doctors treating him said.
Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, along with their families, reunited at a Diwali event in Mumbai, fueling speculation about a potential political alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS ahead of local body polls.
"We have granted conditional permission to hold a meeting. The permission refrains the party from making any provocative statements that harm peace in the city and violate Indian Penal Code," Tukaram Chavan, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Thane, told PTI.
MNS president Raj Thackeray is all praise for Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and does not mince words to express it.
After the drubbing his party received in Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray has announced he and his party would contest the assembly elections in Maharashtra due later this year and would be the chief minister if his party got the mandate.
Ashok Chavan, the Congress' choice of Maharashtra chief minister for the second time, on Sunday said the state cabinet would be formed after the meeting of Nationalist Congress Party Member of Legislative Assembly on Monday and added that Raj Thackeray's support would not be taken to form the government.
Opposition leaders across party lines have condemned the forced removal of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site in Delhi, accusing the BJP-led central government of undermining democratic freedoms, curbing dissent, and choosing force over dialogue.
As the Shiv Sena marks 60 years, political experts highlight the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's existential crisis and the Eknath Shinde-led group's struggle for relevance in the face of a dominant BJP, a significant shift from the party's historical 'elder brother' status in Maharashtra.
"Maharashtra is a great state. There is nothing wrong in promoting Marathi. But, at the same time do not kill Hindi and Bhojpuri," Amar Singh said to reporters in neighbouring Virar in Thane district.
Observing that politicians like Raj Thackeray do not deserve any importance, the Bombay high court on Monday refused to hear a contempt petition filed against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief while hinting that media make such leaders big by giving them publicity.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena bubble has burst in the Lok Sabha polls.
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Monday questioned Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's intention to "bow" before Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray to attend Bihar Diwas celebrations in Mumbai on Sunday.
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.
"We are not against the common man or the migrant workers from UP and Bihar. If somebody changes according to the house of the host (Maharashtra), he is welcome, but if somebody wants to change the host's home by dadagiri (force), we will never tolerate it," Raj asserted.
Dr Singh, in a letter written on October 27, told Deshmukh that his government cannot be a spectator during deliberate attempts to disturb peace in the state, NDTV reported.
The Maharashtra government is tightening its noose on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray as it filed four more cases at different places in the state against him.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday slammed the Maharashtra government for its handling of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's agitation about Marathi signboards."Why no action has been taken against respondent number six (Raj Thackeray)?....Are some people untouchable for you?" Justice Patel asked as the government failed to file a proper reply regarding the action taken.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray on Sunday got married to his fiancee and fashion designer Mitali Borude at a hotel in Mumbai's central area of Lower Parel.
Facing severe criticism from all quarters of Indian political establishment for his anti-immigrant posture, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray took his language war to Europe where he reiterated his oft-repeated views on the politically explosive language issue that helped his party win 13 legislative assembly seats in Maharashtra in October 2009.
Aamir Khan, Salman Khan and many other Bollywood stars met up with MNS chief Raj Thackeray recently to plan a vision for Mumbai.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray was on Saturday granted bail in a case filed by the police for violating orders during the Kalyan-Dombivali municipal corporation polls in October 2010. Raj appeared before the Kalyan judicial magistrate, who released him on bail on a bond of Rs 5,000 with surety of the same amount. He was accompanied by his lawyer Sayaji Nangre. The police had filed an FIR against Raj on October 30 for disobeying a notice.
As the news spread, workers of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray rushed to the spot and cleaned the premises.
State BJP spokesman Keshav Upadhya termed it as "vendetta politics", while former chief minister Fadnavis said this would not impact his plans to travel and meet people.
In the backdrop of Wednesday's serial blasts, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday blamed "hordes of migrants" coming to Mumbai for spurt in crime rate in the state.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday stated that actor Shahrukh Khan should be allowed entry in the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Defying Maharashtra government's order asking him not to make provocative speeches, Raj, addressing a rally in Thane, spewed venom against North Indians justified his agitation against them who he said encroached on job prospects of locals in Maharashtra. He said it would not be possible for him to abide by the government's gag order and he cannot be a 'mute spectator when interests of Maharashtra are at stake'.
After politicians got into Mumbai clean up drive in the backdrop of rising Malaria cases, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray also asked his party men to take up the responsibility of cleaning the metropolis.Raj directed his partymen to clean the city with the help of civic officials and local people. "Wherever you find garbage, clean it to control the diseases," he said.
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
Alleging a "pattern" of triggering communal riots and winning elections, Raut said this will break the country into pieces.
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday described Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray as the new Mohammad Ali Jinnah and said his estranged nephew was intent on dividing Marathi people.
Aamir Khan introduces his friends to PK.
The order came from first class judicial magistrate A K Tiwary when Thackeray failed to appear before the court on Thursday in connection with a petition by lawyer Hameed Raza Khan under sectioins 153 (rioting), 295 (hurting religious sentiments) and other relevant sections of the Indian PenalCode for the MNS leader's remarks against Chhatt festival earlier this year.
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.
Maharashtra Navanirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Monday alleged that Shiv Sena activists had planned to attack him and accused then Sena leader Narayan Rane of masterminding the attack. Raj said he was tipped off about the Sena plans by a senior police officer of Sindhudurg district. He told the audience that he decided to quit the party and form his own outfit after he heard about the conspiracy against him.
He said his party had sent a letter to the state election commission about the new flag and that it was one of the many flags registered three to four years ago.
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.
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday lashed out at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for his 'Bihari' bashing and asked the Centre to take strong action against him.
Additional Sessions Judge S N Sardesai, however, has said that the court's order will not be applicable until 5 pm on Friday to allow the police to approach the Bombay high court to appeal against the order.
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.
