Mumbai/New Delhi, Feb. 1: The rift between the saffron camp and the Shiv Sena deepened in the conflict over the Sena’s tirades against north Indians in Maharashtra with Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray asking the RSS to mind its own business.
"We do not need lessons from the RSS. It will be in their interest not to rake up the issue. Our stand on this is not new. Mumbai belongs to the Marathi manoos," Mr Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday. He asked the Sangh Parivar to instead look south and teach Hindi in the southern states. Mr Uddhav Thackeray also sought to know why the RSS was "silent over discrimination against Hindi-speaking people in Assam."
Targeting RSS leader Ram Madhav, Mr Uddhav Thackeray said that "Madhav lived up to his reputation by raking up an unnecessary issue". Mr Thackeray pointed out that "Madhav spoke about protecting north Indians in Mumbai sitting in Assam. The most number of assaults on north Indians are reported in Assam. Hindi-speaking people have been burnt alive there. Therefore, it will be better if Mr Madhav flexes his muscles in that state." Ram Madhav had said that the stand of some political parties on north Indians was deplorable. In a reference to attacks on north Indians in Mumbai, Mr Madhav had also reportedly said that RSS workers would attempt to prevent "such things" wherever they occurred.
Acting on expected lines, the BJP rallied behind its mentor, the Sangh Parivar, and observed that there should be no discrimination against north Indians in Maharashtra and that no party should create a divide to gain political mileage. Rejecting the Shiv Sena line, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari made it clear that there was no conflict
between regional and national identities and his party did not believe in discrimination on this basis. However, the BJP chief also tried to pull off a balancing act by saying that the Shiv Sena was an alliance partner and since both were independent parties, they could have differences over various issues.
The Shiv Sena’s attack on north Indians drew flak from all political quarters. AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi targeted the Sena and the Raj Thackeray-led MNS for their relentless tirade against people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. "In Maharashtra, MNS leader Raj Thackeray keeps saying throw out people of Bihar and UP. But, who killed the terrorists who had attacked Mumbai? They were the NSG guys from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and from the rest of the country. At that time they did not say throw out Biharis," Mr Rahul Gandhi said.
Prasad Patil and Yojna Gusai