MNS leader Raj Thackeray's drive against North Indian migrants in Maharashtra has found support from radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa which has announced a march on November 1 to highlight among other issues the influx of migrants in Punjab.
While ruling out any alliance with Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for the Ferbruary 22 BMC polls, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said, "I realised that he is vocal about the rights of Maharashtrians and fights for them. Simultaneously, he does not want to spread hatred against non-Maharashtrians."
Earlier this month, Thackeray, 53, had said he would be undergoing a surgery for his knee and back problems.
Complying with a Bombay High Court directive, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray today surrendered before a court in Kalyan in Maharashtra in connection with a 2008 rioting case in which North Indians appearing for railway recruitment examination were assaulted.
An offence has been registered against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly wielding a sword during a public rally in Maharashtra's Thane city on Tuesday, the police said on Wednesday.
Thackeray denied calling it a 'demotion' of Fadnavis stating that it has been done to with an aim to meet a target.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray was one of the guests at the Prati-Kolhapur Festival, which was held at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Monday.Thackeray, who donned a Kolhapuri headgear for the occasion, was his usual fiery self.
Cutting across party lines, leaders in Bihar on Sunday reacted strongly over Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's statement where he blamed 'Bihari migrants' being responsible for the recent gangrape in Delhi.
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.
Athawale said nobody can do any dadagiri at the mosques.
'Raj Thackeray's political outfit will soon fold up in Maharashtra.'
Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata on Friday met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at his residence in Mumbai.
'Raj Thackeray is not coming to Ayodhya to seek Ram's blessings.' 'He is coming to seek political gain in the name of Ram.'
Raj Thackeray is expected to hold a public rally on January 23, where he might announce a key decision, an MNS official said.
Raj Thackeray's public meeting earlier this week was clearly in preparation for the 2014 assembly elections. By reiterating that for him Maharashtra was the lone religion, he showed he was toeing neither the Hindutva line, nor the Marathi Manoos for electoral prospects, writes Sanjay Jog.
Reacting to the ED's summons to Raj, his estranged cousin and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, in an intriguing comment, said he did not expect any 'solid outcome'.
Like uncle, like nephew. This seems to be the case with Shiv Sena leader Raj Thackeray, when it comes to his fascination for German dictator Adolf Hitler.
Mumbai has 1,104 mosques of which 135 used loudspeakers during the morning namaz on Wednesday, he claimed, seeking to know what action was being taken against these mosques 'which violated the law.'
The MNS has convened a meeting of party office-bearers on Tuesday in Mumbai to discuss the issue.
MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar met Maharashtra Home Minister over a letter threatening Thackeray.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray visited the famous Lalbaugcha Raja, in its diamond jubilee year.
Maharasthtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has stated that the party will not allow the release of films starring the Bachchans until Jaya Bachchan tenders an unconditional apology over her alleged anti-Marathi remarks.
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.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismisses the alliance between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's parties as a move for political survival, asserting it won't significantly impact Mumbai's political landscape. BJP leader Ashish Shelar questions the motives behind the reunion, highlighting past criticisms and the Thackerays' changing stances.
The BJP has expanded its footprint in Maharashtra following strong performance in assembly elections, while other parties are seeing their political bases shrink, according to a party official. The assessment is based on the BJP's performance in civic polls across 29 municipal corporations.
A day after the MNS chief declared his unconditional support for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Sanjay Shirsat, the spokesperson for the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, claimed the move would avoid the potential vote division in elections.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, SP members were up on their feet shouting slogans but Chairman Hamid Ansari asked the members to settle down as obituary references had to be made. The SP members raised slogans demanding arrest of Raj Thackeray and protection of the Constitution.
Former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari on Monday met Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, triggering speculation that the saffron party is trying to win over the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief into the National Democratic Alliance for the upcoming elections even as he said there is no reason for Shiv Sena to be annoyed by his meeting with Raj.
"Our party president Raj Thackeray only meant to say that some people from outside states were trying to provoke the locals and we must be vigilant and alert against such elements. We are not against north Indians at all," party spokesperson Shirish Parkar said on Monday.
Prakash Mahajan, younger brother of late Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pramod Mahajan, was on Thursday appointed chief organiser of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday met Governor S C Jamir at Raj Bhavan in the backdrop of the attack on Mumbai University premises by MNS student activists.Jamir, in his capacity as chancellor of universities in the state, had summoned the MNS chief to discuss the ransacking of Mumbai university's registrar chamber over the issue of 'neglect' of Marathi students.
The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday gave another breather to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, staying his arrest till the next hearing. Earlier, on February 4, the court had stayed Raj's arrest till February 17. Raj's lawyer argued in front the bench comprising Justice A V Potdar that his client was arrested by the Mumbai police from Ratnagiri, when a state transport bus was pelted with stones in Badnapur tehsil of Jalna district.
Speaking at a book release function on Wednesday in Mumbai, Thackeray said that it was Bhatt who had given false and misleading information to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan that lead to the filing of FIR against his party men. "I will show Mahesh Bhatt who I am the day he comes in my range," said Thackeray.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday said migrant workers from other states were responsible for the rapid spread of coronavirus in Maharashtra, which has been reporting a large number of new infections since the last few weeks.
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.
The VHP on Sunday dismissed as 'fake and baseless' the reports that its activists and those of the Bajrang Dal will participate in an event to be organised by the MNS to play 'Hanuman Chalisa' on loudspeakers outside the mosques in Maharashtra on May 3.
As per instructions issued by Swargate police station, Thackeray's speech must not insult any community or result in ill-will among people.
The Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court on Monday stayed the non-bailable arrest warrant issued by a local court against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for four weeks.
Jagdish Prasad, father of Pawan Kumar, who was allegedly killed by MNS activists in Mumbai, filed a murder case against Raj Thackeray in the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Biharsharief, Nalanda. A court official told rediff.com that Jagdish Prasad has filed a case against Raj Thackeray under 302 of IPC.
A court in Jamshedpur issued a non-bailable warrant against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for failing to appear before it in a case regarding his alleged derogatory remarks on 'chat festival'.
