'Today it's Kashmir, tomorrow it can be Mumbai': Raj Thackeray slams Centre

Mumbai: Latching onto the clampdown imposed in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Friday claimed that Maharashtra might similarly be disintegrated using force.

Thackeray's statement came days after he welcomed the scrapping of the special provisions of Article 370 and called it as an "exceptional decision".

Addressing party workers here, he said, "In Kashmir, Army and police personnel are deployed outside the residences of the people. Internet, cell phone, television services there stand snapped...everything is closed down there. Today it's Kashmir, tomorrow it might be Vidarbha, maybe Mumbai a day later."

"Tomorrow, those holding sten guns may stand outside your homes. Internet, cell phone services in Maharashtra too will be snapped...And Maharashtra will be disintegrated forcibly, without thinking about you," he added.

The majority that the BJP enjoys is the root cause of this kind of "audacity", he observed.

The MNS chief also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remark on creation of jobs in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370, and asked why the issue of unemployment was not addressed in the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, where the Article was never been in effect.

Observing that BJP men were distributing sweets after the special provisions of Article 370 were scrapped, he said that nobody talks about the "fraud" that was played out in the 371 Lok Sabha constituencies during the election.

Continuing to raise concerns over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and reiterating his demand for reverting to the ballot paper system, Thackeray alleged the number of votes counted in the constituencies exceeded the actual votes polled there.

Thackeray also charged the government with pushing the country's economy into doldrums and also accused it of diverting people's attention from real issues by playing up issues such as Ram temple and others.

He said the BJP talks about Ram temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh but does not behave like the God, who had exiled wife Sita to forest after a washerman raised suspicions over her character.

"The Lord exiled Sita mai on the basis of suspicion raised by a washerman. Why then we don't return to ballot paper if so many people have raised doubts about EVM, VVPAT?

You don't want to behave like Ram, but want a temple in his name," he added.

Thackeray reiterated that his party workers would request people to fill forms demanding elections through ballot paper.

He said the August 21 protest called by all the opposition parties stands postponed in view of the flood situation in parts of Western Maharashtra.