Traders should open shops for the sake of people: Raj Thackeray

Says traders' fight is with the govt and people should not get affected by it

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday appealed to the traders, who have been protesting against imposition of Local Bodies Tax (LBT), to open their shops so that common people do not suffer. "Traders' fight is with the government. People should not get affected by it," Raj told a delegation of traders, who met him at his residence here. "Traders should open their shops for the sake of people.

They should give an ultimatum to the government," he added. Yesterday, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had said that the state government was firm on implementing the LBT and would not backtrack from it even as the traders' bodies continued to oppose the new levy. Chavan had alleged that handful of people were misleading the businessmen on the newly introduced tax. The LBT came into effect in Nagpur, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Thane on April 1.