Suspense over Raj’s arrest has Mumbai on the edge
Mumbai held its breath as the drama involving Raj Thackeray and his much anticipated arrest refused to unfold.
By TNN |
MUMBAI: Mumbai held its breath as the drama involving Raj Thackeray and his much anticipated arrest refused to unfold. Large parts of the financial capital of the country and other stretches of the state experienced tense moments on Tuesday as shop owners pulled down shutters, schools were closed and roadside traders disappeared. Everybody had only one question: Has he been arrested?
With violence against ���outsiders��� spreading, the Centre on Tuesday decided to despatch more para military troops to Maharashtra. As the government agencies were busy considering measures to contain the unrest Raj���s arrest may trigger, the ���anti-migrant��� mood spread to some other cities, too. Places like Nashik, Pune, Aurangabad and Amravati reported attack on north Indians. Interestingly, many of these places are not known to have an MNS presence.
The day began with electronic media beaming live ���action��� from around Raj Thackeray���s residence at Dadar in Central Mumbai. Soon, the rumour mills were agog with ���news��� that the younger Thackeray has been arrested and being taken to a court. Many had anticipated that Raj and city Samajwadi Party chief Abu Azmi would be arrested on Tuesday, a day after they were booked.
As the suspense over their imminent arrest continued, security was beefed up at the residences of Mr Thackeray and Mr Azmi. The police have barricaded all roads leading to Mr Thackeray���s residence ahead of his possible arrest. Media personnel trying to reach his residence were told to wait several metres away.
A statement from the MNS that its chief will not seek bail if arrested added to the anxiety. ���The MNS chief has decided that he would not seek any bail,��� a party spokesman said. That means Thackeray Jr will prefer to sit behind bars rather than to take a legal route to wriggle out. ���This has made our position a bit difficult,��� an official from the home ministry admitted.
Raj���s political rival Abu Azmi, too, has made it clear that he would rather be in jail than seek bail. ���We will have to take extra steps to handle the situation in the event of both of them being arrested,��� an official said. Raj has also refused to accept a notice served on him by the police preventing him from speaking to the media and addressing workers. Clearly in a defiant mood, Raj said: ���Let the government do whatever it deems right. I will stick to my guns.���
Except Pune and Nashik, the MNS doesn���t have a significant presence in other cities. ���People on their own are airing their anger,��� Raj said. North Indians were targeted at all these places. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from small towns like Beed and Aurangabad, where MNS workers were alleged to have set city transport buses on fire. In Pune, MNS workers pelted stones at state-run buses and attacked a few shop owners in the business area. Shops in the area immediately downed shutters.
Similar incidents were reported from Nashik, where the attacks were widespread.
This has forced the Centre to rush more central forces to the state. ���The home ministry is providing central forces to the state government as requested by it. Rapid Action Force (RAF) units are already positioned in Mumbai,��� a senior official said. He said the Centre was in ���close and continuous touch��� with the state government. The home ministry has advised Maharashtra government to make all necessary arrangements to ensure that peace was maintained all over the state and activities of mischief-mongers were effectively checked, he added.
Meanwhile, the BJP on Tuesday accused the Congress of deliberately going ���soft��� on Raj because of its alliance with his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in civic bodies. ���It is a political conspiracy of the Congress,��� party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, claiming the Congress and the MNS are in alliance in six corporations, including Mumbai and Pune.
With violence against ���outsiders��� spreading, the Centre on Tuesday decided to despatch more para military troops to Maharashtra. As the government agencies were busy considering measures to contain the unrest Raj���s arrest may trigger, the ���anti-migrant��� mood spread to some other cities, too. Places like Nashik, Pune, Aurangabad and Amravati reported attack on north Indians. Interestingly, many of these places are not known to have an MNS presence.
The day began with electronic media beaming live ���action��� from around Raj Thackeray���s residence at Dadar in Central Mumbai. Soon, the rumour mills were agog with ���news��� that the younger Thackeray has been arrested and being taken to a court. Many had anticipated that Raj and city Samajwadi Party chief Abu Azmi would be arrested on Tuesday, a day after they were booked.
As the suspense over their imminent arrest continued, security was beefed up at the residences of Mr Thackeray and Mr Azmi. The police have barricaded all roads leading to Mr Thackeray���s residence ahead of his possible arrest. Media personnel trying to reach his residence were told to wait several metres away.
A statement from the MNS that its chief will not seek bail if arrested added to the anxiety. ���The MNS chief has decided that he would not seek any bail,��� a party spokesman said. That means Thackeray Jr will prefer to sit behind bars rather than to take a legal route to wriggle out. ���This has made our position a bit difficult,��� an official from the home ministry admitted.
Raj���s political rival Abu Azmi, too, has made it clear that he would rather be in jail than seek bail. ���We will have to take extra steps to handle the situation in the event of both of them being arrested,��� an official said. Raj has also refused to accept a notice served on him by the police preventing him from speaking to the media and addressing workers. Clearly in a defiant mood, Raj said: ���Let the government do whatever it deems right. I will stick to my guns.���
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Anti-migrant violence was reported from other cities such as Pune, Nashik, Amravati, Nanded and Aurangabad. Nashik police commissioner S M Sayyad told reporters that no large-scale violence was reported from the city. Nashik is peaceful and under control, he said. ���We have made 82 preventive arrests. Most of them are activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena,��� Mr Sayyad said.Except Pune and Nashik, the MNS doesn���t have a significant presence in other cities. ���People on their own are airing their anger,��� Raj said. North Indians were targeted at all these places. Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from small towns like Beed and Aurangabad, where MNS workers were alleged to have set city transport buses on fire. In Pune, MNS workers pelted stones at state-run buses and attacked a few shop owners in the business area. Shops in the area immediately downed shutters.
Similar incidents were reported from Nashik, where the attacks were widespread.
This has forced the Centre to rush more central forces to the state. ���The home ministry is providing central forces to the state government as requested by it. Rapid Action Force (RAF) units are already positioned in Mumbai,��� a senior official said. He said the Centre was in ���close and continuous touch��� with the state government. The home ministry has advised Maharashtra government to make all necessary arrangements to ensure that peace was maintained all over the state and activities of mischief-mongers were effectively checked, he added.
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Maharashtra police on Tuesday made its intention clear when it said the probe into the cases against Raj, who targeted north Indians, and Samajwadi Party leader Azmi would be taken to their logical conclusion in days. ���I can assure you that the cases will be taken to logical conclusion in days.....Not months or years,��� Maharashtra DGP PS Pasricha told reporters. He said there was no political pressure on the police in dealing with the cases. ���Why should I start my investigation with a foregone conclusion or prejudice?��� he asked. ���We will not shield anyone and the investigation will be done professionally.���Meanwhile, the BJP on Tuesday accused the Congress of deliberately going ���soft��� on Raj because of its alliance with his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in civic bodies. ���It is a political conspiracy of the Congress,��� party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, claiming the Congress and the MNS are in alliance in six corporations, including Mumbai and Pune.
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Without naming any party, he said the BJP opposed statements that ���outsiders��� would not be allowed to work in Mumbai as it was against the spirit of the Constitution. He, however, refused to comment specifically on ally Shiv Sena���s warning that it will not tolerate workers 'brought from outside' for modernisation of the Mumbai airport. ���The Constitution gives right to every citizen to travel, settle and take up jobs in any part of the country and we believe in that,��� he said. Download
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