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SP blames it on ex-Sena leaders

Special Correspondent

Growing demand for arrest of Raj Thackeray

MUMBAI: No major untoward incident was reported on Friday from the city and suburbs but the demand for the arrest of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, for allegedly inciting anti-north Indian violence, continued.

Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who reiterated his demand for the arrest of Mr. Thackeray, told journalists that last Saturday, before MNS activists tried to disrupt his press conference, he had received an anonymous call on his cellphone threatening him, “we will make a Ramesh Kini of you.”

Ramesh Kini died mysteriously in 1996 and allegations flew thick and fast that Mr. Raj Thackeray was involved in his death. But a CBI probe found no evidence against him.

Mr. Singh said he had mentioned the threatening call in his first information report filed with the police. Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil promised him action within a week, failing which a stir would be launched.

Settling scores

The SP leader said Shiv Sena leaders who were now in the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party were using Mr. Raj Thackeray to settle scores with the Shiv Sena and its executive president Uddhav Thackeray.

Mumbai Regional Congress Committee President, Gurudas Kamat, demanding the immediate arrest of Mr. Raj Thackeray, said whoever was found guilty of inciting violence must be booked whether he belonged to the MNS or the SP. Police security for such leaders should be withdrawn.

If the police were looking for evidence for taking action, they should record the statements of the policemen accompanying Mr. Raj Thackeray and the SP leaders, Mr. Kamat said. He criticised Mumbai Police Commissioner Dhananjay Jadhav for “inaction.”

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Samana, editorially attacked the MNS as “bird flu infected chickens having no market value.”

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