Oppn hits out at Raj Thackeray for inciting workers to violence

Mumbai - Addressing MNS activists on the occasion of the 10th foundation day of the party, Thackeray had told them to set fire to the new autorickshaws being operated by non-Maharashtrians.

Opposition parties here on Thursday lashed out at Raj Thackeray, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, for provoking his workers to set fire to new autorickshaws owned by non-Maharashtrians.
Addressing MNS activists on the occasion of the 10th foundation day of the party, Thackeray had told them to set fire to the new autorickshaws being operated by non-Maharashtrians.
Raj, whose party was established 10 years ago on the basis of hate politics - hatred towards north Indians and also against the Shiv Sena, headed by his cousin, Uddhav - accused the Maharashtra government of giving new autorickshaw permits to people from the north. He also targeted the Shiv Sena, whose representative Diwakar Raote is the state's transport minister, accusing it of making money in the granting of 70,000 new permits for autorickshaws.
The MNS leader, who specialises in making unsubstantiated allegations, also charged the Maharashtra government of favouring automobile giant Bajaj Auto - which makes two-wheelers and three-wheelers - by giving out new autorickshaw permits.
The MNS had suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2014 general and state assembly elections, as the electorate rejected the hate politics of its leader. But with civic elections due to be held next year, Raj is once again trying to rake up the issue of Maharashtrians versus outsiders.
Nawab Malik, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson, demanded the government take action under the criminal law against Raj for inciting his workers to violence. He said the MNS leader should be arrested immediately.
He cited the example of Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University students union, who was labelled as an anti-national and arrested on charges of sedition. "If a non-politician like Kumar can be arrested, why not Raj," he asked.
MNS hooligans had attacked taxis and autorickshaws owned by north Indians in Mumbai, after Raj had similarly provoked them about 10 years ago. Though the MNS claims to be fighting for the welfare of Maharastrian youth and accuses 'outsiders' of depriving them of jobs, his party has failed to establish itself in state politics.
nithin@khaleejtimes.com

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