According to the Maharashtra Home Department, trouble is developing for MNS chief Raj Thackeray, as a complaint is likely to be filed against him under the terms of the Arms Act. This comes after he wielded a sword handed to him by his followers at a Thane public event on Tuesday evening. This event is being interpreted as an intensification of Maha Vikas Aghadi’s and Raj Thackeray’s continuing verbal battle after the latter turned his guns on the state administration while remaining studiously silent on the saffron party.
Shiv Sena hits back at Raj Thackeray
Raj Thackeray, speaking to a large crowd in Thane the day before, urged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi draught a Uniform Civil Code and a population control law for the country. He also demanded that the Uddhav Thackeray-led administration remove loudspeakers from mosques by May 3. Failing which the MNS would play the Hanuman Chalisa over the loudspeakers.
Claiming that this is not a religious but a social issue, he added. “I want to tell the state government, we will not go back on this subject. Do whatever you want to do”.
Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena MP, hit out at the MNS president on Wednesday. Saying that no one needed to teach his party about Hindutva. He also snubbed the MNS supremo during a press conference in Mumbai. Saying that only the late Balasaheb Thackeray had the right to issue ultimatums in Maharashtra.
Furthermore, Raut alleged that the BJP is employing Raj Thackeray because it lacks the courage to confront the MVA administration head-on. He also questioned his silence on the allegations against former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya on this occasion.
Sanjay Raut expressed his thoughts as follows: “The alarm has sounded after the BJP granted him a licence. The party’s siren went silent for a year and a half. We don’t need anyone to tell us about Hindutva. Hindutva runs through the Shiv Sena’s veins. It runs in its veins. When Hindus have been attacked, the BJP and its new siren have been absent. The whole Shiv Sena, including Balasaheb Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray, has been battling for Hindutva.”
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane expressed delight that the MNS head has finally agreed to the BJP’s position. He told the media, “Raj Thackeray had taken this stance as per the BJP line. BJP leaders such as Prasad Lad, Pravin Darekar, and Mohit Kamboj have taken up the loudspeaker issue in different ways. MNS also liked this issue and that’s why it has raised this issue after us. I feel that Raj Thackeray has started liking BJP’s stance now.”
