Against the backdrop of exodus of North Indian labourers, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in Nashik has asked trained Marathi workers to register themselves with the party to enable them to get jobs in local industries.
The Supreme Court on Friday expressed displeasure over Raj Thackeray's remarks on people coming to Mumbai from other states.
The Shiv Sena on Thursday offered to provide "Marathi workers" to industrial units in and around Nashik following the exodus of many labourers in the wake of the anti-north Indian campaign led by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena earlier this month.
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."
"No programme like UP Day, which shows north Indians' poltical goondaism will be allowed to take place here (Mumbai). We will first request them with folded hands. If that does not work, we will face them with open hands," Thackeray said in an interview to Marathi weekly Lokprabha.
The police on Friday arrested two more Maharashtra Navnirman Sena students' wing activists in connection with the death of an Hindustan Aeronautical Limited employee due to the violence sparked off after the arrest of party chief Raj Thackeray.
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."
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's student wing chief was arrested in connection with the death of a Hindustan Aeronautics Limited employee, who was killed in a stone-pelting incident, in Nashik on Thursday. The incident occurred while MNS activists were protesting the arrest of their chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai. Ambadas Haribhau Dharrao, 55, was returning home from Ojhar when he was hit by stones near Adgaon, police said.
"There has been no untoward incident in Mumbai since Wednesday and more than 140 people have been taken into custody in Mumbai," police sources said.
The Shiv Sena on Wednesday said the events of the last two weeks, culminating in the arrest of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, are part of a political experiment in Maharashtra which will not succeed.
What if Raj does not move for bail: If he declines to move for bail, he will be first sent to judicial remand for 14 days, which will be extended till the charge sheet is filed
Dozens of people took to the streets to celebrate the news of Thackeray's likely arrest. "We are playing with colours to celebrate the likely police action against Raj Thackeray, who made a mockery of the Chhath festival and made remarks against Biharis," said student leader Manoranjan Singh, while playing with dry colours at the busy Dak Bungalow square in Patna.
Arrests are mandatory in cases registered against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, a top police official said on Monday.
Raj said," If the Prime Minister can rake up the issue of ban on turbans for the Sikhs in France when the French President came to India, if Karunanidhi could take up the issue of problems of Tamils in Malaysia with the Malaysian government, if the Hindi channels in Mumbai spew venom against Maharashtra while supporting the people from UP and Bihar, then how come I am dubbed as a goonda when I speak about the self-respect of the state ?".
A Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activist was murdered in Pune on Thursday, the police said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to save the lives of thousands of north Indians living in Mumbai and other parts of Maharastra.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena supremo Raj Thackeray has accepted Amitabh Bachchan's apology, and said that he will take back his agitation against the Bachchan family.
The premiere of Amitabh Bachchan's latest film, The Last Lear was cancelled after the theatre in which it was to be held was attacked by supporters of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Terming the troublemakers as 'anti-national', Lalu said no one has the right to violate the fundamental rights of the people. About MNS leader Raj Thackeray, Prasad said, "He is desperate and such type of leader will never be successful in the country. The Government should take action against him and his supporters".
A day after he likened Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray to saitan (devil), Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday demanded stern action against him for his remarks against north Indians and the Chhath festival.
"We condemn in unequivocal terms the attack on the Biharis. Under the constitution of India, they have a right to settle down anywhere in the country and earn their livelihood," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Thackeray said that though Bachchan has become a superstar in Mumbai, his heart is more inclined towards Uttar Pradesh than Maharashtra.
In the backdrop of fresh tension triggered by his insistence on Marathi signboards for shops, the Mumbai police on Thursday barred Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray from addressing public meetings till September 30.The police sent a notice to Raj, asking him to abstain from making speeches till the end of this month.The notice was sent following a warning by Raj and his party members to all shopowners in the city asking them to put up signboards in Marathi.
The Mumbai police on Wednesday has warned Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and his party workers to not commit any cognizable offence following which stringent action will be taken against them.
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.
When Bollywood stars get festive...
A Special Cell team arrested Jani under Section 41(1) of CrPC and will hand him over to the New Delhi district police.
The squads, to be called Atma Raksha Dal, would comprise 20 members each and protect interests of the poor people like hawkers and taxi drivers, who are normally target of MNS attacks, MPCC spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam told PTI.
"I will myself attend the Chhat Puja celebration," Deshmukh said, while replying to a query on the sidelines of a function organised by Marathi daily Dainik Ekmat. Asked about Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's threat in his May 3 speech at Shivaji Park that he would not allow Lalu's Chhat Puja, Deshmukh said: "I will be there. It will be seen who has more strength."
The Mumbai police on Thursday served a notice to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, asking him to observe restraint and not to commit any cognisable offence through his speeches and writings, which can create law and order problems.Raj, however, refused to accept the notice, forcing the police team to paste it outside his Shivaji Park residence in Mumbai."In his political activities, he must not commit any cognisable crime. This is a prevetive notice," said a cop
The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission on Wednesday warned Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, 'not to cross his limits', during the rally he plans to address on Saturday. Raj, who had initiated a violent anti-north Indian campaign in February and was arrested on charges of inciting his cadres, plans to hold a rally at the historic Shivaji Park on Saturday, in which he plans to chart out the future course of action for his two-year-old outfit.
'I abide by the Constitution.' 'Raj Thackeray does not.' 'His patriotism should be up for questioning.'
Actor Amitabh Bachchan has rubbished reports that incidents of bottle throwing on his house, during the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena campaign against North Indians, were manipulated."If some feel that this was manipulated they are so wrong. You attribute far too much to my devious acumen. I am afraid I do not possess such attributes." he said. Bachchan said his wife Jaya's recent walk out from Parliament was her right as a Member of Parliament.
"Two women from Uttar Pradesh were raped and no complaint has been lodged so far. Local people know the culprits but they are frightened to name them," Abu Azmi said. Azmi alleged that the Congress, heading the coalition government in Maharashtra, is supporting Raj to secure its vote bank and ignoring his activities.Raj should be charged for murder and robbery as the MNS campaign claimed two lives and many north Indians were looted while fleeing Maharashtra, he said.
After actor Amitabh Bachchan vowed not to leave Mumbai in the wake of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena campaign against him, party chief Raj Thackeray on Friday said that he had never asked the actor to leave Maharashtra. Raj's remarks came in the wake of Bachchan's comments three days ago, stating that he was not an outsider in Mumbai and that he would not leave the city.The actor had made the remarks as he was hurt by the campaign that was unleashed by the MNS against him.
Time the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena cease talking about protecting the Maharashtrian asmita (pride) when they talk in support of fighting the influx of job-seeking migrants. Instead they should come clean on the fact that the present concern with regard to migrants is only economic.
Four people were arrested for allegedly damaging five taxis, owned by North Indians, in the early hours of Saturday in Mumbai, police said. Efforts were on to ascertain whether the arrested belonged to Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which had run an anti-north Indian campaign last month, they said.
Terming north-Indians as the life-line of Mumbai, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday said that anti-people forces like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the Shiv Sena were trying to divide the nation."Maharashtra has 57 per cent of north Indians who are toiling for the progress of the state and nation. MNS and Bal Thackeray would face a severe repercussion of their drive, to separate people, on the basis of region or language," said Paswan.
The Bombay high court on Friday set aside the stay granted by a sessions court on the extension of the gag order against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray.
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.