Mumbai: After receiving a drubbing in the elections in 2014, a desperate Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has again adopted violent methods to push its anti-north Indian agenda. The MNS chief Raj Thackeray has openly opposed north Indian hawkers and even threatened them after a stampede at the Parel-Elphinstone Road FOB on September 29 that led to the loss of 23 lives.
As part of MNS’ anti-hawking drive, hawkers were forcefully evicted from a few stations and even beaten up. The MNS chief informally permitted its workers to resort to violence, saying that do not get beaten up instead thrash the north Indian.
The MNS’ attack on the Congress office in Mumbai has once again highlighted that the party is trying to make a comeback by targeting migrants to consolidate its Marathi vote. After defeat in Lok Sabha and Assembly in 2014, the MNS lost its sheen in politics. The party leadership also could not give any strong agenda to the workers. However, after the stampede, Raj Thackeray led a huge protest march at Churchgate that revived the MNS’ anti-north Indian stand.
A former professor of politics with Mumbai University Dr Surendra Jondhale said that it was an attempt at political survival by the party. “It’s a question of political survival for the MNS. It is trying to make itself relevant. The violent ways attracted voters in 2008, and Raj Thackeray got political mileage, but now things have changed. The hawkers issue is not of life and death to the people. The hawkers will come to any flourishing city including Marathi people,” Mr Jondhale said.
“I can understand the frustration of the MNS whose workers are being beaten up by hawkers regularly. Their attack on our office is a cowardly act,” Sanjay Nirupam, Congress Mumbai chief said.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ram Kadam said that it has become necessary for the MNS to take such steps to remain relevant in the politics. “It is necessary for the MNS to sustain in politics,” he said condemning the attack.
