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Centre sends more forces to Maharashtra

NEW DELHI: The Union government on Tuesday rushed additional paramilitary forces to Maharashtra as the violent campaign by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) against north Indians spread to new areas.

“The Home Ministry is sending Central forces to the State as requested. Rapid Action Force units are already positioned in Mumbai. The Centre is in close and constant touch with the State government,” a senior official of the Ministry said.

The Ministry has asked Maharashtra to take steps for maintaining peace and checking the mischief-mongers effectively, he said.

Mumbai Special Correspondent reports:

Anticipating the arrest of MNS leader Raj Thackeray, party activists went on the rampage at many places in Maharashtra, even as Rajya Sabha MP and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, against whom also a case of provoking violence and enmity among groups has been registered, offered himself for arrest.

But Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) K.L. Prasad and his colleagues declined to accept his unsolicited surrender.

MNS activists indulged in stone throwing and other forms of violence at Nashik, Thane, Chiplun, Aurangabad, Beed, Jalna and Latur. Director-General of Police P.S. Pasricha said 39 people were arrested in different towns and 143 taken into preventive custody.

Two taxis were attacked at Kalachowki in Mumbai, while six buses were stoned in Pune. Stone throwing incidents were also reported from Mandai and Lakshmi Road in Pune.

In Nashik, MNS activists beat up fruit vendors and smashed their carts. Four buses were damaged. Local authorities suspended bus services.

Several shops belonging to north Indians were attacked. Some of them are said to have left the city. But Police Commissioner S.M. Sayyed denied such reports.

Police sources said 25 MNS activists were arrested for indulging in violence. They included two municipal corporators Sunanda Kharote and Vijay Ovhal.

In Aurangabad, four city buses were damaged in stone throwing. In the adjacent Beed district too, buses were targeted. A bakery was attacked at Chiplun and two of its employees were beaten up.

Police said the situation was under control.

The Mumbai police continued to keep Mr. Azmi and Mr. Thackeray guessing when they would be arrested. An MNS spokesman reiterated that Mr. Thackeray would not seek anticipatory bail.

Even as the police maintained that the investigation was on, they stepped up deployment around the residences of the indicted leaders.

Dr. Pasricha and the Mumbai Police Commissioner told reporters that “the investigations for getting strong evidence that would stand in court could take time.” They wanted to take the cases to their “logical conclusion.”

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