NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) supremo Raj Thackeray on Friday lashed out at the chaos and violence that erupted at the Maharashtra Assembly, questioning the decline in political standards and decorum. Referring to the clash between BJP and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar faction) leaders, Thackeray called it a reflection of an “obsession with power” and demanded action against those responsible.Thackeray drew a parallel between the assembly ruckus and the assertion of Marathi identity, a cause the MNS is often known to advocate publicly.“What has become of our Maharashtra?” Thackeray asked in a strongly worded post on X. Targeting the leaders involved in the scuffle, he wrote, “The obsession with power as an end rather than a means has led to the reckless inclusion of all sorts of people into parties, using them to sling vile insults at senior leaders of other parties, only to then hypocritically preach about political propriety.”Thackeray also questioned the silence of those who frequently target MNS workers for their aggressive stands on issues related to Marathi identity. “When my Maharashtra soldiers raise their hands for the sake of the Marathi language or against the insult of a Marathi person, where are those who pounce on us and our party now hiding?” he asked.He added, “Whenever someone dares to slight the Marathi language or harm a Marathi person, my Maharashtra soldier delivers a befitting response, and I take pride in that because such actions are not driven by personal grudges but are for the sake of my language and my Marathi people. My late MLA also gave a fitting lesson to an arrogant MLA in the Legislative Assembly, not out of personal animosity but because that MLA tried to belittle Marathi. But what about these people?”Thackeray also raised concerns over public funds being wasted due to such incidents. “Though I don’t have precise figures, according to an old estimate, the cost of a single day of the assembly session is at least one and a half to two crore rupees. Are these funds to be squandered on your personal mudslinging?” he wrote, pointing out the growing number of unresolved issues in the state. “The state treasury is running dry, contractors’ dues are stalled, districts are not receiving development funds... Even the ruling party’s MLAs and ministers are asking whether the assembly session has become a mere formality.”He went on to warn that such incidents, if unchecked, could set a dangerous precedent. “If such people are let off today, it wouldn’t be surprising if, in the future, murders of MLAs take place in the Legislative Assembly, and it’s taken as the norm!”The MNS chief’s comments came in the wake of a clash that broke out outside the Maharashtra Assembly between supporters of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad. The incident led to protests outside Mumbai’s Marine Drive Police Station in the early hours of Friday, where NCP-SCP supporters, including MLAs Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad, demanded the release of activist Nitin Deshmukh, who had been detained by police. They also called for the arrest of those involved in the scuffle.A video of the incident, now viral on social media, shows supporters from both parties engaging in a heated altercation near the Assembly’s main staircase and lobby. The fight broke out just a day after Padalkar and Awhad were caught on camera in a verbal spat outside the legislature. In that clip, the two MLAs were seen exchanging sharp words after Awhad accused Padalkar of slamming a car door at him.Reacting to the viral video, Jitendra Awhad raised concerns about security at the Assembly. “If MLAs are not safe even here, what’s the point of being a public representative?” he asked.These developments follow a string of comments and incidents linked to MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who has once again brought the issue of Marathi identity to the fore. Just days earlier, Thackeray had said that everyone living in Maharashtra, including Gujaratis, should know Marathi, but that did not justify violence against those who didn’t. However, he added that those who create unnecessary drama over the issue “deserved to be physically struck.”“Be it Gujarati or anyone else here, must know Marathi, but there is no need to beat people for that if they don’t speak Marathi. But if someone shows useless drama, you must hit below their eardrums,” he said.This statement came shortly after an incident on July 1 in Bhayander, Thane district, where MNS workers allegedly slapped a food stall owner for not speaking in Marathi. The episode led to protests by local traders, who condemned the MNS’s actions.
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