Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday dismissed speculations over his visits to his cousin and Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray in hospital here.
After an angioplasty, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray was driven to his residence by his cousin. “What is on your mind is not on my mind,” Mr. Raj Thackeray said at a press conference. “These [politics and family matter] are two different issues. There is no [underlying] meaning to my visits.”
Asked about the standoff between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, he said, “I never understood Mr. Pawar’s politics. I don’t know which carom coin he aims at and in which pocket he wants to put it.”
On Tuesday, the MNS chief kicked off a campaign against “illegal” toll collection by exhorting people not to pay toll. He demanded transparency in toll collection and usage of revenue.
“I request the people to stop paying toll till the government brings in some transparency and tells us where the money earned is being used and for what purpose. I am not against toll or tax, but I am asking for transparency,” he said, adding his party workers would provide “protection” to people if contractors or the government pressured them to pay toll.