Raj Thackeray asks his men to stop attack on political rivals after “befitting reply”

On Saturday, MNS workers had thrown coconuts, bangles, cow dung and tomatoes at Sena chief Uddhav’s convoy when he was on his way to address a rally at Thane

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has asked his men to stop their attacks on political rivals, at the same time warning the latter not to provoke him. On Saturday, MNS workers had thrown coconuts, bangles, cow dung and tomatoes at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav’s convoy when he was on his way to address a rally at Thane.

On Saturday, MNS workers had thrown coconuts, bangles, cow dung and tomatoes at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav’s convoy when he was on his way to address a rally at Thane. ( Praful Gangurde /HT Photo )

Raj said that the attack by his men on Thackeray’s convoy was out of anger. Earlier, he said, Sena (UBT) workers had thrown betel nuts (supari) on his car at Beed, accusing him of being of being a “suparibaaz”—a term implying that the MNS chief took money to align with political interests, specifically the BJP and Shiv Sena. “This was not condemned by anyone and hence my men reacted,” he said. He also claimed that his men exercised restraint during the entire protest in Thane.

In a statement, Raj said that during his recent tour of Maharashtra, impediments were sought to be created in Dharashiv district (earlier Osmanabad). “Some people came to meet me under the guise of Maratha reservation protesters, and later I realised from social media that they had no connection with the reservation movement and were connected to the NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT),” he said.

In a press conference held on Saturday, Raj had clearly warned that those who were provoking him would be taught a lesson, and this was done on Saturday. “Politics means a clash of views but this does not mean that someone can create troubles in others’ journeys,” he said. “Care should be taken to see that such tension-increasing episodes are avoided.”

Raj emphasised that he wanted his party workers to channelise their energy into solving people’s problems and not into other issues. He asked them to stop such “protests”, as they had already given a “befitting reply” to his rivals. “Ensure that elections are carried out in a peaceful manner,” he told his workers. “If our rivals do not improve, we will see what needs to be done to them.”

Thane police’s joint commissioner Dnyaneshwar Chavan said that 33 women and 11 men of MNS were booked and released by the Naupada police. Many of the women made a video call to Raj from the police station and showed him how they attacked Uddhav’s convoy. Thane MNS chief Avinash Jadhav proclaimed that they would attack anyone who attacked Raj Thackeray.

CM Eknath Shinde on Saturday had said that the attack on Uddhav Thackeray’s convoy was a reaction to what happened to Raj in Beed. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut asked his opponents not to make such arrogant statements. “Just wait for two months and you will understand what the meaning of ‘reaction to action’ is,” he said. “I also urge the attackers to not do this again. Don’t forget that you have a family and they wait for you at home.” Raut also called the supari-throwing attackers of Raj the “contractual men of Abdali” (Amit Shah).

The Sena (UBT)’s Ambadas Danve, leader of the opposition in the legislative council, castigated the MNS for the attack on Thackeray’s car. “Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray used to tell us that his father’s house was attacked and a dead donkey and dung were thrown in front of it,” he said. “So this is not new for the Thackerays. Today, people remember only Thackeray, not the dung-throwers.”

Danve added that the MNS’s anger was nowhere in sight in the last two and a half years. “They didn’t stop ministers’ cars to question them when industries were being taken away from Maharashtra to Gujarat,” he said. “This incident only highlights their strategy for the upcoming elections.”