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.
The Samajawadi Party will honour its Maharashtra unit president and newly elected legislator Abu Asim Azmi for taking oath in national language despite being assaulted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena legislators inside the Maharashtra Assembly.
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.'
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday defended actor Salman Khan, who came under fire for claiming that the 26/11 attacks were hyped because the 'elite' were targeted by the terrorists.
Did the Congress win based on performance or due to factors like Raj Thackeray?
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.
"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.
As the battle for Dalit votes ahead of the civic elections in Maharashtra got interesting amid reports that the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party is mulling a resolution on renaming Dadar railway station in Mumbai as 'Chaityabhoomi' station, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said he was opposed to any such move.
MNS president Raj Thackeray is all praise for Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and does not mince words to express it.
The booing and beating Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Legislators in Mumbai has brought rich dividends for Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra chief Abu Azmi , who has been turned into the party's hero.
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.
A writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, seeking registration of an FIR against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for assaulting Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi in the Maharashtra Assembly for taking oath in Hindi instead of Marathi.
After emerging as the single largest party but failing to secure a simple majority in the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation elections, Shiv Sena on Monday started negotiations with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, a party source said in Mumbai.
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.
Tension brewed in parts of Mumbai and adjoining Thane districts on Wednesday following Tuesday's incident of stone pelting on Raj Thackeray's convoy by alleged Nationalist Congress Party workers in Ahmednagar district, with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supporters attacking NCP office in Ambernath and calling a bandh.
Within a gap of seven hours, two high-profile but diametrically opposite campaigns in this city set the tone for the coming Maharashtra Assembly elections. While Congress President Sonia Gandhi pitched for an inclusive growth with greater emphasis on poorer and backward section, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's high-decibel slogans catered only for the 'Marathi issue'.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena General Secretary Satish Pradhan resigned from the post on Saturday giving a blow to the Raj Thakre-led party just before the assembly election.
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.
The octogenarian leader said he agreed with Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that these tactics to gain free publicity should be ignored. Without naming Raj, Thackeray said 'chicken in state politics are suffering from bird flu of depression', and hence they have no value.
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.
Bowing down to pressure, Jaya Bachchan on Tuesday apologised for her remark about speaking in Hindi, which had invited the wrath of both the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. "I am very sorry if I have hurt the sentiments of Marathi speaking people in Mumbai and Maharashtra," Jaya said in an interview to Mumbai Mirror.
The attack on North Indians in Maharashtra generated major uproar in the Lok Sabha on Monday, with demands that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray be detained under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act and that he be disenfranchised. Members from Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party, most of them belonging to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, expressed grave concern over the attack on North Indians in Maharashtra.
Thackeray said that though Bachchan has become a superstar in Mumbai, his heart is more inclined towards Uttar Pradesh than Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena corporator Nitin Nikam was on Monday arrested for assaulting a 65-year-old private contractor over alleged 'delay' in repairing a damaged water pipeline in Kalyan, police said.
A Maharashtra Navnirman Sena corporator repeatedly slapped a 65-year-old private contractor over the alleged 'delay' in repairing a damaged water pipeline.
Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena looks all set to get its candidate elected as Mayor of Nashik with likely support from Bharatiya Janata Party.
Raj Thackeray had also said if such a step was not taken, loudspeakers would be installed outside mosques to play Hanuman Chalisa at a higher volume.
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.
The MNS shot off a letter to the BSE authorities demanding a website in regional Marathi language to benefit the local investors.
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.
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.
Fresh non-bailable warrants were issued on Friday against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray by a Delhi court as he failed to appear before it to respond to two complaints accusing him of making hate speeches against north Indians, particularly Bihar natives, in 2008.
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.
Raj Thackeray's comments threatening to brand Biharis as "infiltrators" have fuelled a controversy with leaders from various political parties slamming the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief over the issue.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray on Monday dared Maharashtra government to arrest him and warned the state will have to "regret" the consequences in the event of that.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar by criticising Dalit leaders from the state for their obsession with Indu Mills land to build an Ambedkar memorial, Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athawale alleged in Mumbai on Tuesday.
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
A delegation of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leaders met Maharashtra Governor S C Jamir on Monday, requesting him to restore 'Z' category security of MNS chief Raj Thackeray.
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Maharashtra government on a petition seeking protection for life and property of all citizens in the wake of recent attacks against the north Indians.
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