MAHARASHATRA NAVNIRMAN SENA

By CHINMAY DANTAL

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena

Chairperson Founded

Raj Thackeray 9 March 2006

Headquarters
Newspaper Ideology

Mumbai
None Marathi nationalism,regiona lism

Political criticism
hree UPA ministers demanded tough action, including a call for a ban against the party. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav demanded a ban on the MNS and its chief was a "mental case", Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan added that he would raise the issue in the next cabinet meeting and wondered why no action was being, or had been, taken against the MNS despite a repetition of such violent incidents. He said: "I strongly condemn the incident. There should be strong action against that party... MNS should be banned. [The] Thackeray family has become a chronic problem for Maharashtra and Raj Thackeray, in particular, has become a mental case." The Minister for Food Processing Industries, as well as a Congress leader, Subodh Kant Sahay demanded the Congress-NCP coalition government in Maharashtra treat those responsible for the attacks as criminals. He said, "I have spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and asked him on thegoondaism that is going on in the state." As far the government's action till date is concerned, it has been soft on them. It should take action as too much has already happened there." They are not workers. They are looters. Organisations like MNS, Bajrang Dal, VHP and RSS should be banned."[35]

The CPI(M) Politbureau said the attack on the Constitution was a poor showing on the Maharashtra government which is duty bound to protect and take stringent action against the perpetrators of such crimes. "That it has failed to do so and in fact showing leniency to the leader of the outfit shows the utter bankruptcy of the politics of Congress and its coalition partner." The Communist Party of India (CPI) also said such attacks should not be tolerated and Thackeray and his supporters must be "immediately arrested and prosecuted".[37] Maharasthra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said his government is responsible for failure in preventing attacks and ordered a probe into the incident, which will also inquire into why the job advertisements where not given in Marathi newspapers. He said: "What has happened is not good. Such incidents take place because of loopholes in the law. One can't hold only the Home Ministry responsible for it, it is (entire) Government's responsibility. Such incidents are affecting the image of the state and I have instructed the DGP to take stern action." On Raj Thackeray's accusation that job advertisements were not published in local newspapers to keep out Maharashtrian candidates, he said, "An inquiry would also be conducted about why advertisements about the examination were not given in Marathi newspapers and the number of Marathi candidates invited for the exam

Other activities
MNS organizes functions to promote Marathi literature.[42] MNS also holds training workshops for youths to work in retail industry under its child organizationNavnirman Academy of Retail Industries. The Student wing named as the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena is an upcoming organisation with a large number of college going youth . its the only students wing to have a separate Girls, Cultural and Sports cell. It is headed by Aditya Shirodkar, the son of lawyer Rajan Shirodkar .[43] MNS also organizes blood donation camps.[44] The MNS holds two Guinness World records for holding the worlds largest photo exhibition in association with Milind Verlekar[45][46] depicting forts in and around Maharashtra and of holding the largest exhibition of Marathi books and literature whereSachin Tendulkar recited a poem in memory of his father in front of a live audience.

Foundation
he party was founded by Raj Thackeray, nephew of Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. Raj Thackeray resigned from his uncle's party in January 2006 and announced his intention to start a new political party. The reason given by him for breaking away from the Shiv Sena was that the latter was "run by petty clerks" because of which it had "fallen from its former glory". Also Mr. Thackeray had a clear motive of building political awareness for the development related issues of the state and giving them a center stage in national politics. The agenda is getting an immense support and sympathies of the state youth.[dubious discuss] At the time of the party's foundation, Raj Thackeray stated that he does not want to have hostilities with his uncle who "was, is and always will be (his) mentor"

lthough the MNS is a break-away group from the Sena, the party is still based on Marathi and Bhumiputra ideologies. When unveiling the party in an assembly at Shivaji Park he said, that everyone is anxious to see what will happen to Hindutva.[1] When unveiling, he also said, "I shall elaborate on the party's stance on issues like Sons Of Soil and Marathi, its agenda for development of Maharashtra and the significance of the party flag colours at the March 19 public meeting."[2] MNS Got 13 seats in Vidhan Sabha out of 288 seats. Raj Thackeray considers himself an Indian nationalist (not just a regionalist) and claims that the Congress is twofaced.[3] The party also recognizes secularism as one of its core tenets.[4]

Political support
The MNS has received support from local Marathi speaking Muslim community of Umarkhadi and Dongri areas of Mumbai.[39] Many actors from Marathi Cinema, like Nana Patekar, Ashok Saraf,Prashant Damle, Kuldeep Pawar and Mohan Joshi have come out in support of "sons of the soil" theory put forth by the MNS.[40] The Jharkhand Disom Party has also lent support to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's agitations against North Indians in Maharashtra

In February 2008, some MNS activists clashed with Samajwadi Party (SP) party workers in Mumbai when SP supporters attended a rally at Shivaji Park, Dadar, Mumbai, a stronghold of MNS, where SP leader, Abu Asim Azmi made a fiery speech. After the clashes, 73 MNS activists and 19 SP workers were arrested byMumbai Police for indulging in violence.[5] On February 6, 2008, reportedly, about 200 Congress and NCP party workers quit the party and joined Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to support against MNS's so-called pro Marathi agenda.[6] A petition was filed in the Patna civil court on February 8 against Thackeray for his alleged remarks over Chhath, Bihar's most popular festival of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.[7] Mr. Thackeray maintains he is not against Chhath Puja,[8] but against the "show of arrogance" and "Politicization of Chhath Puja" displayed by some people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on this occasion. On February 10, 2008, MNS workers attacked vendors and shopkeepers from North India in various parts of Maharashtra, and destroyed government property to vent their anger against the reported move to arrest Raj Thackeray.[9] Nashik police detained 26 MNS workers for the violence.

Controversies

In October 2008, MNS activists beat up North Indian candidates appearing for the all-India Railway Recruitment Board entrance exam for the Western region in Mumbai.[14] One Bihari died because of train accident in third class and Hindi Media with support from NCP/Congress successfully potrate it as guy died ensuing rioting.[15] In retaliation for the MNS' attack on Biharis and North Indians in general, the Bharatiya Bhojpuri Sangh attacked the residence of a Marathi official of Tata Motors in Jamshedpur.[16] Following the uproar in the Indian parliament, and calls that there was no pressure to arrest the MNS chief,[17] Raj Thackeray was arrested in the early hours of October 21. He was produced before a court on the day itself and would return the next day after spending the night in jail.[18]Following the arrest, however, MNS party activists took out their anger on parts of Mumbai city and the region at large.[19] The arrest resulted in applause, fear and calls for a ban on the MNS.[20][21][22]The Shiv Sena, however, maintained a cool response, although senior party leader Manohar Joshi said they were close to supporting the MNS in their agitation against the non-Marathi candidates for the railway board exam

Jet Airways' mass layoff and subsequent rehiring .In October 2008, Jet Airways laid off almost 1,000 employees. Many parties, including MNS, claimed to have applied pressure on the company management to re-hire the laid off staff. On the decision to reverse the firing by the company management, MNS claimed the credit for the same.

On October 10, 2006 clashes erupted between supporters of Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena headed by Raj Thackery. It was alleged that workers of MNS had tore the posters bearing the photographs of Shiv Sena Supremo Bal Thackrey near the SIES college in Mumbai. Later as retaliation it was alleged that Shiv Sena workers brought down the hoardings with Raj Thackrey's photo near the Sena Bhavan at Dadar. As the news spread about the incident groups gathered near the Sena Bhavan and started pelting stones at each other. In this incident a policeman was injured and many supporters of both parties were injured. To restore normalcy in the situation the police fired tear gas shells at the mob. Normalcy was eventually restored following police action and the appearance of Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray on the spot. Uddhav appealed to Sena workers to go back home.[24] He said:

Clash with Shiv Sena

.....Continued
he division chief of the Shiv Sena Milind Vaidya said that they had lodged a complaint with the local police against an MNS worker who was involved in the incident. MNS general secretary Pravin Darekar, however, pinned the cause down to local elections in the SIES college. He alleges that the Sena is concerned about losing their hold over the colleges and that is why they are trying to color the issue, adding that the Sena's allegations had no merit. Raj Thackeray asserts that MNS could not have vandalized the pictures, seeing as how he and his members revere Bal Thackeray.[25] notice from some MP's for remarks made by the Bal Thackeray against Uttar Bharatiyas, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had said he would not allow any politician from UP and Bihar to enter Mumbai if the parliamentary panel insisted on summoning Bal Thackeray. Bal countered this by terming his nephew Raj a "backstabber" and reacted to the MNS chief with a "big no thank you.

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