MNS to organise farmers' demonstration in Maharashtra on Friday

Raj Thackeray

The MNS in Thane city of Maharashtra would organise a demonstration of farmers on Friday to protest against their alleged exploitation by local politicians, stated party chief Raj Thackeray. This move comes after activists of the BJP and MNS clashed in the Thane city last week, neighbouring Mumbai, over the issue of mango stalls set up by hawkers on footpaths.

Raj Thackeray alleged that BJP's district president, around 10 ten corporators of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), and other leaders were involved in threatening local farmers against selling their produce in the region. The MNS is raising its voice against such injustice, he said in a statement on Thursday. "The MNS has taken up an issue of a farmer who was stopped from selling his produce in Thane city. We noticed that local BJP corporators and leaders are exploiting farmers and causing financial losses to them. The rally is against such exploitation," he said. The farmers' rally will begin from Gamdevi ground in Thane and culminate at the TMC headquarters. Avinash Jadhav, MNS Thane district president said, "Farmers from across the state were expected to participate in the demonstration."

Last week, hawkers associated with the MNS set up mango stalls on footpaths in Thane's Naupada locality which was opposed by BJP workers on the ground that they were blocking the movement of pedestrians," the police earlier said. Personnel from the anti-encroachment department of the TMC arrived at the scene to remove the stalls but faced stiff resistance from MNS activists. The issue triggered a clash between local BJP and MNS workers, prompting the police to wield canes to disperse them.

Recently, Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, has emerged as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) basher-in-chief as the election caravan trundles on, with Mumbai set to vote on Monday, April 29. For some, though, Raj's attacks are seen as a desperate gambit by a floundering party to have a voice on the national political stage. MNS general secretary Shalini Thackeray, laughed off the term "desperate gambit". "What do you mean by desperate for national attention? Raj Thackeray had declared earlier, too, that the MNS will not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections. We will be concentrating on the Vidhan Sabha elections," she shot back.

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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Agencies