Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday warned NCP founder Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray not cross his path or else it will become difficult for them to hold election rallies ahead of the state Assembly polls. The MNS leader said his convoy was attacked by Shiv Sena (UBT) office bearers, who are trying to portray themselves as Maratha quota activists.
The MNS chief, who is on tour of Marathwada region (the central part of the state), where the ruling parties had suffered huge loss in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election due to Maratha protest for reservation, made it clear that there is no need for reservation in the developed state like Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters allegedly threw betel nuts and tomatoes on Raj Thackeray’s convoy in Beed district on Friday afternoon. However, the betel nuts hit another car and not Raj’s vehicle, while his convoy was heading towards a hotel.
Raj Thackeray, the estranged cousin of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, claimed that those, who attacked his convoy, were raising slogans of “Ek Maratha Lakh Maratha” (One Maratha is equal to one lakh Marathas) in order to portray themselves as supporters of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange. He alleged that Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray are using Jarange’s agitation as a shield for doing politics in Marathwada,. On the pretext of quota protests, they (Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray) are doing politics for the Assembly election. I want them exposed before people including the Maratha community,” he said.
The MNS chief said that 83-year-old Sharad Pawar should be taking initiative to normalise the situation created by the quota protests in the state. But instead he is predicting that there will be a “Manipur-like” situation in Maharashtra. “These people should worry that the situation in the state should not be like Manipur. But their (Uddhav and Pawar's) efforts are to engineer riots, especially in Marathwada in the three-and-a-half months (assembly elections are due in October),” he said.
Reacting to the alleged attack by Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters on his convoy, the 56-year-old leader said, “They (Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray) tried to create impediments in my tour. If my men are provoked, they will not be able to hold a single rally for (Maharashtra Assembly) election. They should not cross my path.”
