UPA ministers talk tough on MNS for attack on students

NEW DELHI: Condemning MNS for today's attack on 13 railway board examination centres in suburban Mumbai and thrashing of examinees from Bihar, three UPA ministers demanded tough action including a ban against Raj Thackeray's party.

While Railway Minister Lalu Prasad demanded a ban on MNS saying its chief Raj Thackeray was a "mental case", Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said he will raise the issue in the next Cabinet meeting and wondered why action is not being taken against MNS despite repetition of such incidents.

"I strongly condemn the incident. There should be strong action against that party MNS should be banned. Thackeray family has become a chronic problem for Maharashtra and Raj Thackeray, in particular, has become a mental case," Prasad told reporters here.

Minister for Food Processing Industries and Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay demanded the Congress-NCP coalition government of the state should treat those responsible for the attacks as criminals.

Admitting that the coalition government in Maharashtra has been soft on the MNS so far, Prasad said, "I have spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and asked him on the goondaism that is going on in the state."

"As far the government's action till date is concerned, it has been soft on them. It should take action as too much has already happened there," he said in response to a query on repetition of similar incidents in Maharashtra for a long time.

Alleging that MNS activists were dividing the country, Prasad said, "They are not workers. They are looters. Organisations like MNS, Bajrgang Dal, VHP and RSS should be banned."