PUNE, India, 27 May 2008 — Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray defied a ban order on Sunday night and held a rally attended by some 25,000 of his supporters at the busy Tilak Road Chowk in the Pune suburb of Deccan Gymkhana.
Raj said he was not afraid of police registering cases against his party and scoffed at attempts to stop him from holding the rally in the city. While the rally was in progress, police kept a low profile. They acted only late at night registering a case against the rally convener and senior MNS leader Deepak Paigude “for organizing a public rally without permission.”
Speaking to Arab News, the joint commissioner of police, Rajendra Sonawane, said police were not against Raj holding the rally in Pune. What Paigude and he were told was that the spot selected by the party was a busy locality which would create traffic and law and order problems, Sonawane said, and added that police had suggested 25 other sites to the rally organizers who insisted on Tilak Road Chowk.
Speaking at the rally, Raj said: “The police warned us that they would register offense against the MNS for organizing the rally without police permission. They can register as many offenses against us as they want. We are not scared of them. We have got used to police registering offense against MNS.”
Continuing his verbal attack on migrants from north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Raj said MNS would not tolerate the influx of outsiders into Maharashtra anymore. “And this is not merely a threat. We will show what we can do if the same continues,” Raj said.
Raj also put academic institutions on notice, accusing them of favoring moneyed north Indian students. “Let us see what they (institutions) do in the name of admissions and they will see what I can do. Students from UP and Bihar have created havoc in suburbs by their unruly behavior. I warn them to mind their behavior.” Raj added.
