Chidambaram slams Sena, says Mumbai for all Indians

Even as the Shiv Sena stuck to its vicious campaign of “ Mumbai for Maharashtrians” , Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday rejected the Sena contention as a “pernicious thesis”.

He affirmed the financial capital belonged to all Indians who are free to live and work there. On Sena threats to Australian and Pakistani players’ participation in the IPL cricket event in Mumbai, Chidambaram asserted that he would “guarantee them full security.”

He said the Government of Maharashtra was competent to handle the situation and the Centre would extend help if sought. “If the government of Maharashtra seeks our advice, we will advise them but I am sure they are competent to manage the situation,” Chidambaram said. “But, as a matter of policy, we reject the theses of the Shiv Sena and the MNS. These are pernicious theses and they have to be rejected,” he said. Amid growing strident campaign against North Indians by Shiv Sena and MNS, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has warned that government would not remain quiet and allow them to take law into their own hands.

On the safety of players participating in the IPL, Chidambaram said, “Let Australian players come to India. Let Pakistani players come to India. Let them play in Mumbai and I will guarantee them full security“.

The latest leader to join the attack on Shiv Sena is AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi. O n Monday he flayed Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and the MNS for their tirade against people from North.

“In Maharashtra, MNS leader Raj Thackeray keeps on saying throw out people of Bihar and UP. But, who killed the terrorists who had attacked Mumbai? They were the NSG guys from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and from the rest of the country. At that time they did not say throw away Biharis,” he said. Rahul who is currently touring Bihar said in lighter vein “if terrorists have to be fought with, let Biharis remain there.”

On Sunday, the Shiv Sena had objected to the RSS view that Mumbai is for all Indians and said the city belongs only to Marathis. Sena had said its activists would not allow Australian players to play IPL matches in Maharashtra to protest the attacks on Indians in that country. The party has been opposing sporting ties with Pakistan contending that the neighbouring country has been supporting anti-India terrorists.

Meanwhile, in a stand that may widen the party's rift with the Shiv Sena over the issue of North Indians living in Maharashtra, BJP President Nitin Gadkari on Monday said there was no conflict between regional and national identities and his party did not believe in discrimination on this basis.

Arguing that Indians from all parts of the country had a right to live anywhere within Indian borders, Gadkari said the BJP was only opposed to special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370. Gadkari, widely considered a Sangh appointee, reinforced the RSS view on the Maharashtra issue. “We respect as a ground reality that at a regional level there is tradition, heritage and language identity. But there is no conflict between regional and national identity.

And so, we do not believe in any linguistic, religious or regional identity that discriminates or differentiates,” the BJP president said. He maintained that the Shiv Sena was an alliance partner and since both were independent parties, they could have differences over various issues.

Responding to the RSS stand, Sena leader Manohar Joshi had on Sunday said, “The time has come to remind RSS that Mumbai belongs to Marathi people only.” Targeting RSS over its spokesperson Ram Madhav’s statement about protecting north Indians against any discrimination in Mumbai, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray told the Sangh not to interfere on the issue of Maharashtra capital. Madhav should worry about south Indian States and teach Hindi in those States, Uddhav said.

Jobs in Maharashtra should be given to only those who were born in the state, MNS chief Raj Thackeray asserted on Monday. “Just because one can write, read and speak Marathi does not entitle him to local jobs...For getting jobs in Mumbai, one has to be a Marathi by birth. Just knowledge of reading and writing the language will not do,” Raj said at a party meeting at Shanmukhananda hall in Matunga area. Raj also criticised party members for distributing Marathi alphabet books to north Indian taxi drivers last week. Giving them deadline of 40 days to learn the language, the transport wing of MNS had distributed Marathi alphabet books to taxi drivers last week.

- Asian Tribune -