SANGLI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has claimed that the state government should give cab permits to only those born and educated in Maharashtra.
“They should not be given to anyone who simply speaks Marathi. Only those who are sons of the soil, born and educated in the state, should get the cab permits,” Thackeray said.
“I am sitting here and will see how the government does not give cab permits to the sons of the soil.”
Thackeray was speaking at a public function to congratulate veteran journalist and editor of Loksatta, Kumar Ketkar, on his retirement in Sangli on Wednesday evening.
Speaking on a controversial issue in the state that has been hotly debated over the last week, Thackeray attacked the ruling Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government, as well as the state chief minister Ashok Chavan.
“The chief minister had announced that the government would give cab permits to 4,500 born Maharashtrians and even justified why they deserve to get it. And the very next day Chavan made a U-turn because of a fear of the lady in Delhi,” Thackeray said, referring to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
“On the other hand, no one dares to criticizes the neighboring Karnataka state chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who has declared that no one can buy agricultural land in Karnataka except the people of the state, who speak, read and write Kannadgi language and are born and educated in Karnataka.”
