Mumbai: In a major jolt to Raj Thackeray and his party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), over 200 MNS members resigned on Wednesday and rejoined their parent party, Shiv Sena, at Bal Thackeray's Bandra residence, Matoshree.
Shiv Sena party secretary Vinayak Raut said over 200 members of MNS under the leadership of Avinash Gite, MNS Shakha Pramukh of Dindoshi and Goregaon, and Woman Wing Pramukh Pranali Parab, rejoined Shiv Sena on Wednesday afternoon.
He said some of the members told Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray that they had realised their 'folly of joining MNS', and therefore would like to be taken back into the Shiv Sena.
Thackeray welcomed them and told them to let bygones be bygones. "Forget whatever happened in past and we too will do the same. We are like a family, so, from now onwards start working for your Party," Thackeray said.
MNS has been in the news in the last few days for targeting north Indians, and for Raj Thackeray's remarks against superstar Amitabh Bachchan. This seems to be an immediate fallout of the policies followed by Raj Thackeray within his party.
The MNS members were reportedly fed up with the anti-north Indian stance adopted by Raj. Asked about the Sena's stand on the current political scenario in the backdrop of violence over Raj Thackeray's remarks against north Indians, Raut said, "This is a fight between Samajwadi Party and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, not between Maharashtrians and north Indians."
The Mumbai police have arrested 143 supporters of MNS and 90 activists of Samajwadi Party since February 3 in connection with the violence in the city and filed 14 cases against them. They included top MNS leaders Bala Nandgaonkar and Shishir Shinde, who were arrested on Tuesday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Wednesday assured that migrants living in he city and elsewhere in the state would be given full protection, and asserted that individuals or organisations harassing them would be dealt with sternly.
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