Ranchi/Mumbai:
Union
Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh asked people not to attach much
importance to what the ‘trivial’ Thackerays say, accusing the family
members of fighting among themselves to strengthen their political
base in Maharashtra.
“Don’t
attach much importance to what they say. It is their family problem
to strengthen their (respective) political base,” the former
Maharashtra Chief Minister said, when asked to respond to Bal
Thackeray and Raj Thackeray’s alleged anti-North Indian stance.
“It
reflects how low their (the Thackerays’) thoughts are, and the whole
thing gets aggravated when TV channels keep playing one or two
incidents repeatedly,” Deshmukh said.
'International cosmopolitan city'
Asserting that Mumbai is an international cosmopolitan city and
there is no problem for anybody whatsoever, he said the name
‘Maharashtra’ signifies a state having a large heart (Maha Rashtra)
and that the “trivial opinion of a handful of people should be
ignored with disdain“.
On Mr.
Bal Thackeray’s controversial comments in the Shiv Sena mouth piece
‘Saamna’, Deshmukh said a number of petitions have been
pending before different courts against his articles.
“Though
freedom of press is there, write-ups should be within the legally
prescribed limits. And
several cases are pending against it (Saamna)” he said.
'Scrap Sena's
Registeration'
Meanwhile, terming Shiv Sena’s
agitation over the non-Maharashtrian issue as “unconstitutional”,
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Narayan Rane on Friday asked Election
Commission to cancel registration of the party.
“Shiv Sena has raised the issue of
non-Maharashtrians from Mumbai which is completely contrary to its
own constitution and laws of the country. I request you to cancel
their registration,” Rane said in a letter to the Chief Election
Commissioner.
Sena was recognised as a State
political party by accepting certain rules and constitution, Rane
said, adding they have agreed to the ideology of democracy and
belief that all citizens should be equal before the law.
“It was stated that they believe in
common civil code for all citizens irrespective of their caste,
creed, religion, language,” the Minister said.
However, the party should now make it
clear if they still believe in national integrity by raising the
issue of non-Maharashtrians, Rane said.
“The Commission should ask Sena to
file an affidavit stating they believe in national integration,” he
added.
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