Raj Thackeray: Founder and chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

The political unrest mushrooming up in Mumbai recently has been keeping most of Mumbaikars on their tips and toes. The episode reaches an attainable peak today when the Mumbai Police arrested the founder and chief of the Maharastra Navnirman Sena (MNS) (formed in March, 2006) — Raj Thackeray. However, this arrest was not a surprise for anybody including Raj himself and it is reported that he was prepared for the same.

The recent Issue in Mumbai

Very early this month, there were incidents in Mumbai after Raj Thackeray’s controversial remarks about the ‘migrant’ population from the North Indian States — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar. The MNS party activists clashed with the Samajwadi Party (an Uttar Pradesh party).

In the whole melee, Bollywood superstar, Amitabh Bachchan was criticized — “taking more interest in Uttar Pradesh than Maharashtra,” in spite of achieving his fame and fortune in Mumbai, Maharastra. Amitabh in retaliation stated that he would leave Mumbai if it was proved that he has not done more for Maharastra than for Uttar Pradesh.

Amitabh’s close friend and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh said,

Let Thackeray come out with a list, what all Amitabh Bachchan has done for UP and what all he has done for Maharashtra. If he has not done much more for Maharashtra, where he is residing, then on his behalf I am saying, he will leave Mumbai.

Mumbai Police arrest Raj Thackeray

The Maharashtra Government had requisitioned paramilitary forces to meet any eventuality and security has been beefed in different parts of the city in case they are arrested. The state authorities had started deploying Central paramilitary forces from Tuesday evening in Mumbai and other key cities across the state in anticipation violence. A few companies of Rapid Action Force and four companies of Central Reserve Police Force have also been deployed in Mumbai.

There were incidents of stone pelting and assault in different parts of the state — including Nashik, Pune, Jalna, Beed, Aurangabad and Latur towns — on Tuesday in protest against the police action. MSN activists also targeted public property including state transport buses in most of the cases.

Late afternoon today, the 13th Feb, 2008, Thackeray along with Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi was arrested by the Mumbai Police on charges of inciting people. Political Think Tanks have interpreted these developments as an attempt by Thackeray to move into the limelight, and strike at the Shiv Sena, which was trying to woo north Indian votes. He may not seek bail as his detention is likely to fuel the anti-north Indian campaign and help his party consolidate the Marathi votebank.

Earlier today, many MNS supporters and activists were arrested in Maharastra for indulging in violence and as a pre-emptive measure against an impending communal riot. Mumbai Police had lodged FIR against Thackeray on Monday at the Vikhroli Police Station.

Raj Thackeray

Raj Thackeray, born June 14, 1968, is a Maharashtra politician and the founder and chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. He is the nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray (son of Bal Thackeray’s younger brother Shrikant Thackeray).

Thackeray started his political career with the right wing Shiv Sena party of Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray resigned from the party in December 2005 and announced that he would form his own party. He formed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in March 2006.

He is a commercial arts graduate from the JJ School of Art, became an office-bearer of Shiv Sena in 1988. He formed the Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena, Shiv Sena’s student outfit. His political career suffered a setback in 1996 when his name came up in the murder case of a tenant from Pune, Ramesh Kini. The CBI, however, cleared him of any involvement.

Well, personally, I can understand the part of the political tactics and it is their prerogative to do their political acrobatic somersault — I just wish that the common people are not made collateral in violent incidents and that peace is maintained. Isn’t it very uncivilized, in-human, down-right immature and savage to resort to communal fights in the 21st Century modern world. It is also surprising tha a city like Mumbai still don’t have a proper and tactical response mechanism to thwart-off such jungle-culture incidents.