During his meeting with the chief minister, Raj demanded that the government change its policy and recognize new Marathi schools and also grant new taxi permits to unemployed Marathi youths.

Raj told a press conference after the meeting that he met the chief minister to discuss Marathi schools and taxi permits for unemployed Marathi youths.

The state government had issued a circular on June 19, saying new Marathi schools would not be granted recognition by the government as there existed a good number of Marathi schools.

Raj told the chief minister that the state government does not allocate financial grants to English-medium schools; therefore they get permission and recognition from the government. But Marathi schools that do not wish to avail of the financial grant from the government, are denied recognition and permission to operate. The government should change its policy, Raj told Chavan.

Raj urged the chief minister to take note of the new taxi permits to be issued shortly and said the permits should first be given to Marathi unemployed youths. He said the state government should find ways as how to provide new permits to the unemployed youths and should devise a policy on the issue.

“We first issue warning as per our policy, and we have done so in our meeting with the chief minister. Now the ball is in their court. If no progress is made for meeting our demand, we will respond in our style,” the MNS chief threatened.

Meanwhile, the MNS and Shiv Sena have come together on the issue of the participation of Pakistani artists on Indian television reality show “Bigg Boss – Season 4”. The first episode of the show featuring 14 participants from different fields was broadcast on Colors entertainment channel on Sunday night and anchored by film star Salman Khan.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray questioned the wisdom of the channel in inviting two Pakistani artists Veena Malik, former girl friend of Pakistani pace bowler Mohammed Asif, against whom she had leveled serious charges of match-fixing, and cross dresser Begum Nawazish Ali alias Ali Salim Khusra, who though being a male by birth, dresses sometimes as a male at times as a woman.

“What is the need to invite these Pakistani artists to India and organize shows?, questioned Raj. Why are the TV channels indulging in such tactics to increase their Target Rating Point, he asked.

The Sena has strongly criticized the participation of the Pakistani artists and said they would protest against the channel. With the aggressive stand of the MNS and Sena, it is now known whether the two Pakistani artists would be forced to quit the show and return to Pakistan, or some solution to the issue would be found out.