MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s fierce “Gudi Padwa” speech had its backlash in the State on Monday, with a few BJP workers from Sangli lodging a police complaint against him for his statement that “communal riots” might break out in the country in the coming months on the Ram Mandir issue and his party workers smashing the Gujarati name boards from shops, hotels and other establishments in areas adjoining Gujarat along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway.
A day after he warned the people of the efforts being made in certain quarters to engineer “communal riots” across country on the Ram Mandir issue to win the forthcoming lok Sabha elections, BJP workers staged a protest against the MNS chief’s “objectionable” statement and a few of them lodged a complaint against Raj with the local police statement for allegedly seeking to disturb peace and communal harmony in the society.
At his “Gudi Padwa” rally held at the Shivaji Park grounds in north-central Mumbai, Raj had said: “I have definite information that there will be communal riots in the coming months on the issue of Ram Mandir. These riots are being organised to win elections. We definitely want Ram Mandir but not to serve someone’s vested interests. I do not mind Ram Mandir being built at Ayodhya even after the 2019 lok Sabha polls. But, we should ensure that the BJP does not politicise the Ram Mandir issue to win elections”.
In a related development, a group of MNS workers — apparently angered by their party president’s statement that influence of Gujaratis was increasing in areas of Palghar district of Maharashtra along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway — smashed the Gujarati name plates of hotels, shops and business establishments.
The MNS workers claimed that they had smashed “20 to 25” Gujarati name plates, while the police said that “some unknown” activists had forced the owners of shops and hotels to remove “10 to 12” Gujarati name boards. The police registered an offence but no arrests were made till the evening.
During his speech, the MNS chief had among other things called upon all the Opposition parties to come together to ensure “Modi-Mukt” Bharat in the 2019 lok Sabha polls. “Under the prevailing situation in the country now, what we should do is to fight for third freedom in the country. We need is Rs Modi Mukt’ Bharat. I appeal to all the Opposition parties to come together to herald ‘Modi Mukt’ Bharat in the country, in 2019 polls,” Raj had said.
The MNS chief charged that after failing to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra, the Modi Government was desperately trying to reduce the influence of Mumbai to benefit Ahmedabad and Gujarat.
Meanwhile, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar hit out at Raj Thackeray, saying: “It is ironical that a man ( Raj Thackeray) who has been rendered “Rojgari Mukt” (jobless) by the people of Maharashtra should be speaking in terms of “Modi Mukt Bharat”. Raj Thackeray should know his limits before making such big statements. He finds himself in such a situation wherein his State Assembly had become “MNS Mukt” and all his corporators from Mumbai have fled to other parties”.