Show black flags to Rahul: Bal Thackeray

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Thursday asked partymen to show black flags to Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Mumbai tomorrow in protest the Congress leader's 'Mumbai for all' comment.

Thackeray has asked Sena workers to show black flags to Rahul during his visit to the city, senior party leader Sanjay Raut said.

The directive from Thackeray has come at a time when there has been a war of words between Sena and Congress over the migrant issue.

Rahul has ticked off Sena by asserting that Mumbai is for all Indians and people have a right to go anywhere.

He has faced the ire of Sena chief who said the Congress leader was "totally frustrated".

Thackeray said the Sena will not tolerate anything spoken against "Marathi pride."

He also raked up Rahul's mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin, saying "Mumbai may belong to all Indians but how can it belong to an Italian mummy?"

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray has questioned the timing of the visit. "What was the need for this visit now? There may be elections in Bihar, but we will not tolerate anything spoken against Mumbai and Marathi pride," he had said.

During his short visit, Rahul will interact with college students at the Bhaidas Hall in suburban Vile Parle and then proceed to Ramabai Nagar slum colony in Ghatkopar to meet slum youth.

The visit is a part of the ongoing Mumbai Youth Congress membership drive for organisational elections.