E-Paper
RSS roots for North Indians in Mumbai, irks Shiv Sena
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Shiv Sena are at war over the issue of migrants in Mumbai. And caught in the middle is the BJP. The Sena attacked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his statement that Mumbai was for all Indians, reports Rajendra Aklekar.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Shiv Sena are at war over the issue of migrants in Mumbai. And caught in the middle is the Bharatiya Janata Party.
On Sunday, the Sena attacked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his statement that Mumbai was for all Indians while an RSS spokesman declared that the Sangh would try and prevent the spread of anti-north Indian and anti-Hindi feelings.
The BJP, meanwhile, sought to douse the fire with its president, Nitin Gadkari, saying he would react only after verifying what the RSS chief had actually said. He also denied there was any clash between the Sangh and the Sena.
Reacting to the RSS chief’s remarks, Sena leader Manohar Joshi said: “Mumbai belongs to, and continues to belong to, Marathi people. It is only because of the Shiv Sena’s struggle that Marathi people have been able to survive in Mumbai. This has to be conveyed to the RSS chief.”
“We will talk to the RSS and tell them Mumbai belongs to Marathi people only. Hindutva and Marathi go hand-in-hand,” he added.
In Jabalpur, RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said: “The Sangh has asked its volunteers in Maharashtra to try and prevent the spread of anti-north Indian and anti-Hindi feelings.”
On Saturday, Bhagwat sparked the latest row between the Sena and Sangh, saying: “Mumbai is for all Indians. People of all languages, communities, tribes are children of India... Nobody can prevent Indians from moving to any part of the country for employment.”
