Rahul all set to visit toothless tiger’s den

MUMBAI: The Congress-led Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure security for Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi who will visit Mumbai on Friday.

Mr Gandhi’s visit has become a high-profile security event after Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Thursday asked Sena cadres to show black flags to the top Congress leader for his "anti-Maharashtra remarks and insulting the martyrs of 26/11".

The Congress general secretary will visit a couple of colleges in the city, besides a scheduled interaction with youths from slums. Mr Gandhi will visit the Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar in Ghatkopar East. Congress sources admitted that the government, especially Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, was apprehensive about security.

"What makes us more apprehensive is the fact that the home ministry is with NCP, which has spoken almost the same language that the Shiv Sena and MNS have used recently," said a state Congress spokesperson. Mr Gandhi and the Shiv Sena-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have engaged in a fierce face-off since the Congress leader took up cudgels for 'North Indians' living in Maharashtra and said Mumbai belonged to all Indians.

The Congress leader also reminded the Sena-MNS that Mumbai had been saved from the terrorist attack by NSG commandos who came from all over the country. Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray hit back asking Mr Gandhi where he was when Mumbai was attacked and told him to study Mumbai’s problems before "shooting his mouth off".