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Raj Thackeray: MNS’s rally befitting reply to anti-CAA stir led by Muslims
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday came out strongly in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday came out strongly in support of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), giving what he termed a “befitting reply” to the Muslims who were protesting against the laws.
Thackeray, who changed his party flag to saffron recently, led a march from Hindu Gymkhana to Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, after which he addressed a massive rally. While he was leading the march on foot, the Mumbai Police requested him to travel in their car from Metro Cinema, citing security reasons, to which he agreed. During his 20-minute speech, he demanded the Centre remove illegal Bangladeshi and Pakistani infiltrators from the country. He accused the protesters of organising agitations without studying the CAA and NRC. “Today, my morcha was a befitting response to those organising the anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests. I want to tell you that we will reply to stones with stones, and swords with swords,” warned Thackeray.
Thackeray, who recently shifted to ‘Hindutva’ from the earlier ‘Marathi Manoos’ plank, demanded the removal of “Bangladeshi and Pakistani bandicoots infiltrating the country”. “I don’t understand why the protesters, especially Muslims, are protesting against the CAA. Who is talking of evicting them? Why are you showing your strength,” he asked. “The Bangladeshis are like bandicoots, who infiltrate soft soil and ruin it. There is need to remove them from holes to save the country.”
Thackeray was critical of the Muslims saying that were enjoying maximum freedom in India and should not misuse it. “The CAA talks of giving citizenship to Hindus who are facing religious persecution in neighbouring countries. Some people are saying take Muslims also. How can we accommodate them? Our country is not a dharamshala and we do not have the monopoly of humanitarianism. There are many issues facing this country and illegal immigrants is one of them,” he said.
During the morcha, MNS workers, including Raj Thackeray, sported a saffron band on their arm.
Thackeray also criticised the Hindus for not being proactive. “Hindus are not alert. They only become Hindus during the riots,” he added. He said that the Narendra Modi-led government should clarify whether the CAA and NRC were just diversionary tactics to hide economic failure. “If the government is bringing in laws, then they should ensure their strict implementation. We need to clean up this mess,” he said.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the MNS chief’s speech has no value. “Raj Thackeray is running the MNS like a business which changes frequently. Citizens don’t trust such people,” said Sawant.
Since 2014, the MNS has been going through a rough phase, as it lost power in the Nashik Municipal Corporation and its tally in the Assembly came down to just one in both the 2014 and 2019 polls, from 13 in the 2009 polls. After embracing the Hindutva ideology, Thackeray has reportedly started to grow close to the BJP against which he had run a campaign in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
