Raj shows lawless ways again, police too repeats behaviour
22 Aug 2012 12:17 PM IST
Defying the Mumbai Police, which refused him permission for a rally from Girgaum Chowpatty to Azad Maidan in the city, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray led his supporters' march on Tuesday against the 11 August violence, which broke out at a rally protesting the Assam violence.
Though the MNS had the permission for a public meeting at Azad Maidan, the police did not give a go ahead to the party's march, apprehending breach of peace. The police, however, did not make any attempt to detain either Thackeray or his supporters when they assembled in thousands at the Chowpatty for the march.
MNS supporters, carrying the party's blue, saffron and green flags, with its election symbol train engine embossed in the middle, gathered at Girgaum Chowpatty before Thackeray joined them in a 'symbolic' march after a brief stopover at the Siddhivinayak temple. Thousands of policemen had been deployed and traffic regulated for the protest, which was largely peaceful.
His supporters beating drums and carrying flags scurried after the leader, who is making an attempt to capture the Hindutva space hitherto occupied by the Shiv Sena.
Thackeray called the rally to protest the violence on 11 August and alleged failure of the state administration and Mumbai police to control it. He has demanded ouster of the state home minister R R Patil and the Mumbai Police commissioner Arup Patnaik.
On 11 August, two demonstrators were killed and 52 others, including 44 policemen and media persons, injured when a protest against the alleged persecution of Muslims in Assam had turned violent.
Thackeray also criticised Dalit leaders of Maharashtra for their 'obsession' with the Indu Mill land for an Ambedkar Memorial and wanted to know why they were silent when policemen and members of the public were brutally attacked during the protest against ethnic violence in Assam.
Meanwhile, ruling out his resignation, Patil said that appropriate action would be taken against the MNS for organising a march without police permission. He said that Thackeray's allegations are politically motivated. The MNS leader's speech at the rally would also be examined, the minister said. 'There is no question of my resignation. There is no need to take politically motivated statements seriously,' he said.
HE OFFENDS DALITS AS WELL
The MNS chief Raj Thackeray has insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar by criticising Dalit leaders from the state for their obsession with the Indu Mills land to build an Ambedkar memorial, the Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale alleged on Tuesday.
'We strongly condemn Raj Thackeray's statement ridiculing the demand of Ambedkar followers, for whom the Indu Mills land issue is a matter of self respect,' Athawale said. 'He has ridiculed our agitation. We condemn this. He says that [the RPI] did not condemn the violence after the Raza Academy protest. He is lying. We not only condemned the violence but sought an inquiry to find out if Pakistan had a role in the violence,' Athawale said.
The RPI did not hold a morcha as it felt that social harmony should not be disrupted, the former MP said, reacting to Raj Thackeray jibe why the RPI was silent after policemen and people were attacked during the protest against ethnic violence in Assam on 11 August.
Athawale also questioned why Thackeray did not condemn the violence in Lucknow and desecration of the Buddha statues.
COP GREETS RAJ AFTER HE SLAMS POLICE CHIEF
Hearing kind words from Raj Thackeray for ordinary policemen, a constable today turned emotional and greeted the MNS leader with flowers minutes after he launched a vitriolic attack on the city police chief over the 11 August Azad Maidan violence.
So touched was constable Pramod Tawade by Thackeray's show of empathy for policemen battered during the violence that he walked up to the leader after his speech at a party rally, handed him flowers and thanked him for support.
Thackeray led a march defying the police and held a rally at Azad Maidan to condemn last fortnight's violence and seek resignation of state Home Minister R R Patil and Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik.
Asked if his gesture of greeting the MNS leader would not invite action from his superiors, Tawade, currently in the wireless department at Byculla, said ‘let them take action, I am ready.’
Tawade recalled how he and his colleagues in the traffic department were assaulted by CISF men on 13 August, 2010. Tawade, who had written to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Home Minister seeking swift action against the CISF personnel, alleged that the matter was ‘hushed up’ at the behest of the Union Home Minister.
‘When I approached Arup Patnaik seeking action against the CISF men, he made fun of me saying I look like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose,’ Tawade said.
The CISF team had got enraged when Tawade and his colleagues stopped their vehicle for driving in the wrong lane.
‘[Patil and Patnaik] have played with the morale of the police. Our policemen kept waiting for instructions to control violence. When a DCP got hold of a rioter, an abusive Patnaik told him to let off the offender,’ Thackeray had said. [Agencies]
Though the MNS had the permission for a public meeting at Azad Maidan, the police did not give a go ahead to the party's march, apprehending breach of peace. The police, however, did not make any attempt to detain either Thackeray or his supporters when they assembled in thousands at the Chowpatty for the march.
MNS supporters, carrying the party's blue, saffron and green flags, with its election symbol train engine embossed in the middle, gathered at Girgaum Chowpatty before Thackeray joined them in a 'symbolic' march after a brief stopover at the Siddhivinayak temple. Thousands of policemen had been deployed and traffic regulated for the protest, which was largely peaceful.
His supporters beating drums and carrying flags scurried after the leader, who is making an attempt to capture the Hindutva space hitherto occupied by the Shiv Sena.
Thackeray called the rally to protest the violence on 11 August and alleged failure of the state administration and Mumbai police to control it. He has demanded ouster of the state home minister R R Patil and the Mumbai Police commissioner Arup Patnaik.
On 11 August, two demonstrators were killed and 52 others, including 44 policemen and media persons, injured when a protest against the alleged persecution of Muslims in Assam had turned violent.
Thackeray also criticised Dalit leaders of Maharashtra for their 'obsession' with the Indu Mill land for an Ambedkar Memorial and wanted to know why they were silent when policemen and members of the public were brutally attacked during the protest against ethnic violence in Assam.
Meanwhile, ruling out his resignation, Patil said that appropriate action would be taken against the MNS for organising a march without police permission. He said that Thackeray's allegations are politically motivated. The MNS leader's speech at the rally would also be examined, the minister said. 'There is no question of my resignation. There is no need to take politically motivated statements seriously,' he said.
HE OFFENDS DALITS AS WELL
The MNS chief Raj Thackeray has insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar by criticising Dalit leaders from the state for their obsession with the Indu Mills land to build an Ambedkar memorial, the Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale alleged on Tuesday.
'We strongly condemn Raj Thackeray's statement ridiculing the demand of Ambedkar followers, for whom the Indu Mills land issue is a matter of self respect,' Athawale said. 'He has ridiculed our agitation. We condemn this. He says that [the RPI] did not condemn the violence after the Raza Academy protest. He is lying. We not only condemned the violence but sought an inquiry to find out if Pakistan had a role in the violence,' Athawale said.
The RPI did not hold a morcha as it felt that social harmony should not be disrupted, the former MP said, reacting to Raj Thackeray jibe why the RPI was silent after policemen and people were attacked during the protest against ethnic violence in Assam on 11 August.
Athawale also questioned why Thackeray did not condemn the violence in Lucknow and desecration of the Buddha statues.
COP GREETS RAJ AFTER HE SLAMS POLICE CHIEF
Hearing kind words from Raj Thackeray for ordinary policemen, a constable today turned emotional and greeted the MNS leader with flowers minutes after he launched a vitriolic attack on the city police chief over the 11 August Azad Maidan violence.
So touched was constable Pramod Tawade by Thackeray's show of empathy for policemen battered during the violence that he walked up to the leader after his speech at a party rally, handed him flowers and thanked him for support.
Thackeray led a march defying the police and held a rally at Azad Maidan to condemn last fortnight's violence and seek resignation of state Home Minister R R Patil and Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik.
Asked if his gesture of greeting the MNS leader would not invite action from his superiors, Tawade, currently in the wireless department at Byculla, said ‘let them take action, I am ready.’
Tawade recalled how he and his colleagues in the traffic department were assaulted by CISF men on 13 August, 2010. Tawade, who had written to the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Home Minister seeking swift action against the CISF personnel, alleged that the matter was ‘hushed up’ at the behest of the Union Home Minister.
‘When I approached Arup Patnaik seeking action against the CISF men, he made fun of me saying I look like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose,’ Tawade said.
The CISF team had got enraged when Tawade and his colleagues stopped their vehicle for driving in the wrong lane.
‘[Patil and Patnaik] have played with the morale of the police. Our policemen kept waiting for instructions to control violence. When a DCP got hold of a rioter, an abusive Patnaik told him to let off the offender,’ Thackeray had said. [Agencies]
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