Mumbai: Holding Bangladeshi infiltrators responsible for the Aug 11 violence in Mumbai, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday warned that such incidents would not be tolerated.
He also sought the resignation of Home Minister RR Patil and Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik for failure to foresee and curb the violence, which left two people killed, and 45 policemen and many others, including media persons, injured.
Addressing a public rally at Azad Maidan after a five-km march, Thackeray said that some of the participants in the Aug 11 procession, organised by Raza Academy and other Muslim organisations, had the gall to attack the policemen and media persons on duty.
Seeking to prove his point, Thackeray flashed what he claimed was a green coloured passport found from the venue and purportedly belonging to a Bangladeshi, and said that the Muslim procession had many outsiders who dared to attack police and media persons.
"This will not be tolerated and limits cannot be crossed. Anybody who dares to raise their eyes against Maharashtra, we will not tolerate," Thackeray thundered.
He said it was surprising the police and home department remained ignorant of how well-prepared the Muslims in teh Aug 11 procession had come with iron rods, sticks and stones and demanded that the home minister and city police chief resign immediately.
"If they have an ounce of shame, they should immediately quit," Thackeray said to a widespread applause from the gathering.
Reiterating that the MNS procession and rally was not directed against any religious groups or entity, Thackeray said it was to express solidarity with the ordinary Marathi policemen and policewomen and the Mumbai media.
"There is no hidden agenda, as is being speculated in some circles. Our motives had been announced in advance that it was to express solidarity with the police, media and seek resignations of Patil and Patnaik," he said.
Thackeray also demanded a probe into Raza Academy's past record for such processions and claimed there were details of how they usually ended in violence.
He targeted Samajwadi Party state chief Abu Asim Azmi, and alleged that Azmi could win elections from two assembly constituencies simultaneously as these had many Bangladeshis and Pakistanis living there.
Thackeray also ridiculed the Republican Party of India (RPI) and others for not speaking out against the Aug 11 violence.
"Except demanding Indu Mills land, what has (RPI chief) Ramdas Athawale done? Does he want to construct a bungalow there?" he said sarcastically.
After his speech, Thackeray appealed to all the people to disperse peacefully and remain vigilant against anybody creating any kind of mischief.
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