Mumbai, February 01: The disconnect within the saffron combine over the issue of north Indian migrants in Mumbai got apparent on Monday with Shiv Sena rebutting the RSS’ view that Mumbai belongs to India and warned its leaders not to interfere in Maharashtra politics.
“RSS should not comment on any issue that is to do with Mumbai. This city belongs to Maharashtra and Marathi manoos. If RSS wants to talk of protecting Hindi they should do it in South India first,” Sena’s executive president Uddhav Thackeray wrote in party mouthpiece Saamna.
Attacking the swayamsevaks on all fronts, Uddhav also claimed that it was the Sena, and not the RSS, that protected Hindus after the 1992 riots.
The remarks came a day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said “India is for all Indians” and that Mumbai belongs to India.
“Whole of India is for all Indians and all Indians can earn livelihood anywhere in India. Language, caste, sub-castes, groups, tribes can be different, but all are sons of India. This is a misconception that employment has decreased at our place because of migrants. Solution of this grievance should be found but the solution is not that you refuse people of your country to migrate to your area. The solution can be found if administration and government are dedicated. All political parties should rising above the vote-bank politics and consider this issue,” Bhagwat said.
Another RSS leader Ram Madhav asked swayamsevaks to protect north Indian migrants in Maharashtra and prevent spread of anti-Hindi feelings.
“The Sangh parivar has asked its volunteers in Maharashtra to try and prevent the spread of anti-north Indian and anti-Hindi feelings. There should be no discrimination on the basis of language,” Madhav said, when asked about the agitations against Hindi-speaking people by Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray-led MNS.
Thackeray, however, came out with an advice for its state partner BJP’s parent wing, saying it should first focus on protecting north Indians in the South.
The BJP has, meanwhile, come out in support of the RSS, and backed its stand that Mumbai belongs to all Indians.
Senior party leader Shanta Kumar said, “Just for politics we don’t divide the country.”
–Agencies