Showing his strong support for the Centre’s Citizenship Act, NPR and NRC, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday set forth an aggressive pro-Hindutva agenda which would be anti-Pakistani and anti-Bangladeshi infiltrators but inclusive of all genuine Indian Muslims.
Addressing the party’s first-ever mega-convention in Goregaon, on the occasion of the 94th birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder, the late Balasaheb Thackeray, the MNS chief said the party will take out a huge rally on February 9 to drive illegal infiltrators, from Pakistan and Bangladesh, out of India.
Advertisement
Endorsing his support to the CAA-NRC-NPR policies of the BJP-led Central government, Raj Thackeray said: “We have to be tough with infiltrators. We are sitting on a volcano. It can erupt anytime. We can keep working on CAA/NRC. We have to throw out Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants. I will support the government on this.”
He further said that there can be a debate on the Citizenship Amendment Act but questioned why illegal migrants should be given shelter in India.
He also took potshots at his estranged cousin and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and put the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on notice by announcing the MNS would set up a ‘Shadow Cabinet’ to monitor the government’s performance in key areas.
Raj Thackeray made it clear that he would not oppose merely for the sake of opposing, but deal with all issues on merits before opposing if they are not in the public interest.
Speculations are rife that the BJP might support MNS after its long-time ally Shiv Sena joined hands with the Congress and NCP, its traditional adversaries in Maharashtra.
The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance had collapsed over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post.