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In defence of the Marathi manoos
Don't allow people from UP, Bihar to settle in Maharashtra: Raj | ||
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Toughening his stand against migrants, specially north Indians, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday indicated that his party would launch more intense agitation on the issue.
"Whatever happened so far was a trailer, a teaser. There are more to come," the belligerent MNS chief said during an interactive session for online edition of a leading Marathi newspaper.
"You come as a paying guest and claim right of ownership over the house. This won't be tolerated," Thackeray said.
"In Maharashtra, nine crore Marathi people are taken for granted and the remaining two crore, who are outsiders, are appeased," he added.
MNS would contest Lok Sabha polls, Raj said, adding that he would not go in for poll-alliances at the cost of interests of Marathi people.
Ruling out his contesting elections, Raj said the Nano project would not have gone to Gujarat if he were the chief minister of Maharashtra.
Raj riled ruling politicians for failure to make an offer similar or better than the one made by Gujarat CM Narendra Modi [Images] to Tata.
"Our politicians only think of their own constituencies, not the entire state. The Nano project is coming up in Sanand, which is not Modi's constituency. We lack this kind of vision in our state," he said.
"There is a new culinary dish being churned out in the political arena and it is called 'spineless politician' like the boneless chicken," Raj said.
"Give me power and I'll fix everyone and everything using the language they best understand," he added.
"After my agitation (against non-Marathis), Marathi people are walking about with pride in their own state," he claimed.
Besides Mumbai, there is also unrest among Marathi population in rural Maharashtra as north Indians are making inroads into their area, the MNS chief said.
"Former chief minister of Maharashtra, late Vasantdada Patil once said 'there is Mumbai in Maharashtra but there is no Maharashtra in Mumbai'. Outsiders are deciding our future. Who has given them this right? They should go back to their native lands and make Mumbai out of their cities and towns," Raj said.
Asked if he would go for a poll alliance, Raj said, "I am not deliberately looking for any political alliance. But, I am open to any political party approaching us to form an alliance. I will, however, not abandon my agenda (the Marathi issue) at any cost."
On the emerging trend in Mumbai cooperative societies of selectively allowing people like vegetarians and specific communities, Raj said, "this is absolutely wrong and is being done purposely with support from parties like BJP."
Commenting on the likeness between him and his uncle and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray [Images], Raj said: "I was born and brought up in that family. I do not consciously imitate him; it's in my blood. My likeness to him is a matter of natural influence, something I cannot avoid."
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