No hurry to arrest Raj Thackeray

Neither Maharashtra nor the Centre seems to be in a hurry to put Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray behind bars.

A report on the recent developments in Mumbai, dispatched by the state to the Centre, clearly says the entire issue is political, spurred by the MNS and the Samajwadi Party (SP) to consolidate their positions in the state.

“The government may not want anybody to grow beyond his present political stature by putting him behind bars,” said a Central leader. Rather, the state will act only when it is convinced that the things are getting out of hand. The Centre also thinks, says the leader, that if Raj is arrested, the state may face violent reactions from MNS workers. “Raj will come out of the jail unscathed, but innocent people will be forced to bear the burnt of the impending violence,” he said. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said some steps need to taken, but carefully. “We should wait for some time and plan a strategy to deal with the situation,” said Jaiswal.

The Centre has asked the state to take immediate steps to control the situation, he said while replying to questions over Raj Thackeray’s stand against North Indians. Jaiswal said despite floating a separate political outfit two years ago, Raj has not been able establish himself as a leader and now using the same plank used by his ancestors. Asked about Raj’s presence at a family function of City Police Commissioner D N Jadhav and his statement thanking Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for not arresting him, Jaiswal said, “How does Raj’s presence at D N Jadhav’s function relate to the government of India.”