MNS planting roots firmly in Mumbai with sons of the soil card

22 February, 2010

Now Raj Thackerary is back with his sons-of-the soil theory. On February 3, 2010, he addressed a mammoth meeting of his party workers and supports at DNC school ground in Dombivli East and 13 prominent Shiv Sena and BJP workers joined in his MNS.

WITHIN A short span of forming his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Raj Thackeray won 13 seats in Maharashtra Assembly. Besides this win, his MNS played a decisive role in making and destructing the fortunes of many aspiring political leaders in the recent election.

Now, Raj Thackerary is back with his sons-of-the soil theory. On Wednesday, February 3, he addressed a mammoth meeting of his party workers and supports at DNC school ground in Dombivli East.

People were virtually overflowing from the ground to the vicinity and traffic was blocked for quite some time in the evening from 6 to 11. It was estimated that over 20,000 people attended the meeting and over 30,000 people viewed the live telecast of his speech across Dombivli, Diva and Kalyan.

A number of TV channels made elaborate arrangement to telecast his speech and one of these even held a discussion over Raj Thackerary's Dombivli speech for hours.

During the speech, Raj Thackerary lashed out at Rahul Gandhi, Abu Azmi, Mukesh Ambani and RSS functionary Ram Madhav.
“Why has Abu Azmi, who has been living in Mumbai for years and doing business, ignored the State language?” asked Raj Thackerary. He raised the question, when Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab could learn Marathi in a year, why not Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi?

The warring Thackeray siblings seemed to have found a common enemy in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. A day after the Shiv Sena launched a verbal attack on Rahul Gandhi; Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray took the criticism a step further, referring to Gandhi as "Rom Putra".

He cleverly picked up an adjective and described Rahul Gandhi as "Rom Putra". The audiences were very much amused when he uttered this about Rahul Gandhi.

The MNS chief said Marathi should be used everywhere in Maharashtra, and everyone in politics irrespective of their affiliation should come together for the cause of the language.
He asked party members to celebrate Marathi Language Day on February 27 and Maharashtra Day on May 1 with zeal.

Thackeray also lashed out at RSS functionary Ram Madhav and industrialist Mukesh Ambani for their ‘Mumbai for all’ remarks.
“They say Mumbai belongs to India. When did I say Mumbai belongs to Afghanistan or China? I am not against the country’s integrity. The 26/11 attack was Delhi’s intelligence failure and you are blaming Maharashtra for that,” the MNS chief said. “If Ram Madhav has guts he should go to Karnataka and ask the BJP government there to change their pro-local laws.”

Thackeray further said: “It was easy for Mukesh Ambani to make a statement sitting in London. When he had to set up a big project he chose Gujarat. Why? Because it was his home state. He earned from Mumbai and invested in Gujarat. Then why am I at fault if I also love my home?” he asked.

In a veiled attack on the Shiv Sena taking up the issue of Marathi and Marathi ‘Manus’, without mentioning the name Raj Thackeray said, “You know to whom I am referring to. When we got 13 seats in Maharashtra Legislature, now all of a suddenly some leaders of other parties woke up and started talking about the love towards Marathi language and Marathi people. We have already taken up the issues.”

The MNS would never allow the separation of Mumbai from Maharashtra, he said.

Calling for filling railway vacancies, Thackeray said if sons of the soil were not given preference in recruitment, the MNS would launch an agitation in its style.

"The whole Gandhi clan has fought the elections from UP but have still not managed to develop this area. They are instrumental in sending hordes from these areas to Maharashtra," he said.

Thackeray added that Gandhi had "humiliated" Maharashtrians and the state by his comments over the last few days. The MNS chief then trained his sights on Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, calling him spineless for his changing stance on the taxi permits-for-Maharashtrians issue. "Only those who are Maharashtrian by birth should be given these permits.

Tomorrow, Marathi classes will spring up in Bihar and UP and these people will flood the state seeking permits. This can't happen," he added.

"It is the support that elected 13 of my MLAs that is troubling certain parties," he said. "This newfound interest in the Marathi issue is a desperate attempt by them."

No doubt Raj Thackerary is a great crowd-puller. The MNS rally on Wednesday in Dombivli endorsed this fact. His style of speech and language attracts less educated Marathi people in the age group of 15 to 35.

Will he be able to make his way to the 112-member KDMC house next? Wait and see.

The number 13 is a bad omen to many. However, MNC chief Raj Thackerary sees it in a different way. Nowadays it has become his lucky number.

In recent Maharashtsra Legislature Assembly election his party won 13 seats. On February 3, some 13 prominent political heavyweights from other parties, mainly from Shiv Sena and BJP, joined his Maharashtra Nava Nirman Sena.

Former KDMC Mayor Harichandra Patil, BJP Kalyan Zilla Presdient and Councillor Dinesh Tawade, Chandrakant Mane (BJP), Vanita Patil, former KDMC Deputy Mayor and Councillor, Uday Samel, former KDMC Mayor, Lakshman Patil, Councillor, Sanjay Gunjal, Vice Chairman, KDMC Education Committee, Sanjay Devre Patil, BJP Yuva Morcha Secretary, Kazim Kamle, Nitin Takur, President, BJP Yuva Morcha (Village Section), Chitra Mane, BJP, Madan Mhatre, BJP, Kamalesh Jain, BJP, joined MNC in the function attended by Raj Thackeray at DNC ground.