National

Rebel Sena faction disrupts press meet

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the breakaway faction of the Shiv Sena, is continuing its anti-northerner campaign in Mumbai with the party activists trying to disrupt a press conference of Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh here on Saturday.

Two activists of the party led by Raj Thackeray raised the MNS flag when Mr. Singh criticised Mr. Thackeray’s adverse comments on people hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The police whisked them away though they wanted to speak to the SP leader.

Mr. Thackeray had censured actor Amitabh Bachchan at a meeting at the Dharavi slums on Friday for working in the interest of Uttar Pradesh rather than Maharashtra though he had become star in Mumbai. He said Big B had contested election from Allahabad and not Mumbai. The remark irked the northerners who are a sizeable segment of the Mumbai population.

Mr. Singh, who is a close friend of Mr. Bachchan, said, “he is taking the name of the celebrity for stunt, just trying to get some popularity and what has happened now is nothing but goondaism.”

Mr. Bachchan is also close to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, uncle of Mr. Raj Thackeray. The relations between the uncle and nephew are strained now. Recently, Mr. Bachchan attended a family function at the senior Thackeray’s residence.

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