Rift within Maharashtra govt as Shiv Sena minister backs Marathi rally, slams police crackdown

Mumbai: Differences cropped up within the Maharashtra government between BJP and Shiv Sena over the issue of Hindi language and the handling of protests by Marathi outfits in the state.

The disagreement came to fore when a Shiv Sena minister on Tuesday called out his own government for denying permission to MNS and other outfits wanting to carry out a 'Marathi Morcha' in Mira Road over the language issue.

Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik slammed police officials and said it was wrong to deny permission for the rally. "It is a democratic right to take out protest marches... the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti and several other organisations, including MNS, had asked for permission for the rally. Police should not work at the behest of a political leader or a political party. Police is detaining those who are going to the rally... I am going to the rally, if they want they can arrest me," Sarnaik said.


Sarnaik castigated his own government after the Mira Road police denied permission to MNS and Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, an outfit committed to preserving and spreading Marathi, to take out a rally. The outfits wanted to take out a rally through the same spot where a non-Marathi speaking trader was assaulted a few days ago for not being able to speak Marathi. Traders, mainly non-Marathi speaking, had observed a day-long shut down and carried out a march in Mira Road in protest. The Marathi outfits wanted to take out a "countermarch".

Justifying police action, Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said: "Police asked organisers to change route as they deliberately wanted a route where there would be some confrontation (with traders)."