MUMBAI: The situation in Mumbai is tense following Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s orders to his workers on Thursday afternoon to greet Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi with black flags during his one-day visit to Mumbai on Friday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, speaking about the likely threat to Rahul from the Sena workers, said the Congress leader would be provided complete security cover, which would diffuse any harm to him.
The Sena is miffed with Rahul over his comments that Mumbai belongs to all and that the north Indians in National Security Guards (NSG) hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh had saved Mumbai from the terrorists.
Rahul claimed that it was the NSG commandos had killed the terrorists in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. This was refuted by the Sena, which shot back that Rahul should know that even the top cops from the Maharashtra police had participated in the action against the terrorists in which senior police officials like Hemant Karkare, Kamte and Salaskar had been killed.
Attacking Rahul, Thackeray said that Rahul had insulted the Maharashtrians by glorifying the NSG commandos from North Indian, and that the Sena workers should protest against him by greeting and waving black flags at him. Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has not yet opened its cards on what it would do during Rahul’s visit and therefore Rahul would have to remain alert.
The security of Rahul has become a big challenge for the Mumbai police. “Rahul’s security perception depends on what he speaks and how he behaves,” said a police official.
Sanjay Nirupam, Congress Member of Parliament from Mumbai warned that the Congress workers would react strongly and forcefully if the Sena workers try to harm Rahul in any manner.
“The Sena should stop intimidating people and making threats. The Congress workers have not worn bangles and would come out in the streets to counter not only the Sena but also Raj Thackeray’s MNS.”
Nirupam came down heavily on the Maharashtra government and said that it should act sternly against the Sena.
