 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Wednesday, Oct 22, 2008 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, being taken out of the Bandra court in Mumbai. At right, police chase MNS supporters who went on the rampage. MUMBAI: A sense of fear prevailed in the city and most of the State after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray was arrested on Tuesday. While Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh exhorted Mumbaikars and people in other parts of the State to go about life as usual, there were few takers. In the wake of the attacks, the State government is likely to pass an ordinance to make political parties responsible and pay up for damage caused in the course of protests and other actions. The draft ordinance may be discussed by the State Cabinet on Wednesday, according to Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil. Mr. Patil told journalists that over 1,700 people were arrested from all over the State as a preventive measure after the attacks on north Indian students by the MNS. In Mumbai itself 1,000 MNS workers were arrested. Some of them were held as a preventive measure, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Amar Jadhav. There were 60 untoward incidents reported from all over the city of which 12 offences were registered, he said. Since 3 a.m., more than 250 taxis were damaged in the city and suburbs up to Dahisar, according to A.L. Quadros of the Bombay Taximen Union. Twenty-two taxis were damaged at Tardeo alone. The MNS workers allegedly damaged the vehicles and inflicted minor injuries on the drivers. Mr. Quadros said that when the government knew it was going to arrest Mr. Thackeray it should have put adequate security measures in place. Most of the taxis belonged to north Indians who were busy all morning registering complaints and assessing the extent of damage. The last time the government had paid them Rs. 200 per taxi and the union had refused to accept it. Office attackedCongress spokesman Sanjay Nirupam’s office in Andheri west was attacked on Monday night by miscreants. Mr. Nirupam said this was not the way to fight a political battle. “It’s better the MNS attacks people like me. We can at least defend ourselves unlike the poor students, the auto drivers or the taxi wallas.” Anticipating trouble, most people chose to stay at home. Most parts of the city wore a deserted look with trains running empty. Shops were closed in many places and vehicles, including autorickshaws stayed off the road. Six additional platoons of the State Reserve Police and three of the Rapid Action Force were deployed in addition to the existing 40,000 police personnel and 25 regular SRP platoons, Mr. Jadhav said. In other parts of the State too, there were incidents of arson and stone-throwing. Buses, private vehicles and shops were targeted. Incidents of arson and stone-throwing were reported in Thane, Pune, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Solapur, Amravati, Nashik, Jalgaon, Hingoli, Bhandara, Buldana, Washim, and Yavatmal. Some incidents were reported from rural areas of Pune district too and Navi Mumbai. Buses were burnt in Pune and Thane. A truck was set on fire at Thane. Adding fuel to the fire, local supporters of the Samajwadi Party staged a protest in Mumbai. They raised anti-Raj Thackeray slogans. The SP had protested against Sunday’s attacks on north Indian railway exam candidates. Police resorted to lathi-charge and put them behind barricades a short distance from the Bandra court. Despite the Mumbai police warnings about use of force, protesting MNS workers did not relent. The police fired five rounds of tear-gas shells and caned them. Two vans of Rapid Action Force were pressed into service. The RAP personnel stood guard along with the local police. Protest in KalyanAt Kalyan too, while Mr. Thackeray was on his way to the court, mobs damaged vehicles and vandalised shops. In Bandra, 70 people were reportedly arrested for rioting and arson and six from across the city for engaging in acts of vandalism and rioting, Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gaffoor said here on Tuesday. Acts of vandalism were reported in 17 to 18 places and 12 cases of damage to property were reported. About 60 to 70 vehicles, mostly taxis, autorickshaws and a few private vehicles and buses were damaged, said Mr. Gaffoor. There were not many major instances of violence, he said. Preventive arrests could continue. If needed, the detained MNS activists could be held until the completion of the “Chhat Puja,” Mr. Gaffoor said. Re-examinationsNew Delhi Special Correspondent reports: Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Tuesday announced that the Railway Recruitment Board, Mumbai, would conduct fresh examinations for candidates who were assaulted and prevented from taking the examination by MNS activists. Talking to journalists, Mr. Prasad said the examinations had been successfully completed at most centres. The MNS activists had disrupted examinations in 13 centres in suburban Mumbai. Mr. Prasad welcomed the arrest of Mr. Thackeray but added that the step was not sufficient to put down elements which were bent upon spreading disunity in the country. “They had beaten up even Dalit students. There is need for more stern action, be it an individual or any organisation indulging in anti-national activities.” Related links
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