Raj bursts out against North Indians again

Addressing a well-attended rally at Shivaji Park here, Raj insisted that in Maharashtra only Maharashtra Day would be celebrated and that he won't allow celebration of any other state's day in Maharashtra.

Referring to leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati coming to Mumbai and addressing rallies, he said, "Jayalalithaa or Karunanidhi don't feel it necessary to come to Mumbai and address people from their states. Why only politicians from UP and Bihar do it? Because they want to take over Mumbai and Maharashtra."

The MNS chief justified what he had earlier said about megastar Amitabh Bachchan's "allegiance to Uttar Pradesh". He also took a dig at the actor's wife Jaya Bachchan and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav for their comments on him (Raj).  At present, of the 227 corporators in the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), 24 were North Indians, he pointed out.

"Whenever we talk about the cause of Maharashtrians, the book of Constitution is thrown at us. But nobody asks these politicians (Mulayam and Mayawati) why they have not been able to provide jobs to their people in their states. Who has stopped them from developing their own states?" he asked.

The MNS chief also held the migrants from UP and Bihar responsible for the increasing crime rate in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Quoting Dr Ambedkar, the MNS chief said, "The father of the Constitution had cautioned us against the dominance of North Indians way back in 1955. And replying to questions about the contribution of Maharashtrians in building Mumbai, he had said,