Irked that a Marathi family on the suburbs of the city has been attacked, allegedly by some members of the Gujarati community, for eating non-vegetarian food, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has decided to start non-vegetarian food stalls outside housing societies which insist that occupants eat only vegetarian food.
“Eating habits cannot be forced upon someone. Nobody can dictate food choices to the Marathi community in Mumbai, which belongs to us [Marathis],” Shalini Thackeray, vice-president of MNS, said.
Ms. Thackeray however, said her party did not want to make it an issue of a conflict between Marathis and Gujaratis. The MNS has applied for permission from police and civic authorities to start the food stalls at specific localities that have a higher percentage of Gujaratis . “If they don’t want us to eat inside our houses, then we will eat on the road — in front of them [housing societies],” she said.
‘Publicity stunt’A senior BJP leader has termed the move as a publicity stunt by the MNS. “It’s an attempt to re-energise the party cadre, which has gone on the back foot after successive electoral defeats,” he said.
Many builders and house owners in the city deny houses to people based on their faith and food habits.
