Maharashtra: FIR lodged against Raj Thackeray

Mumbai, Feb 11: The Mumbai Police has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) today against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for allegedly disturbing harmony among different communities in the city.

The FIR was registered at Vikroli police station. Raj is booked under non-bailable Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for inciting voilence in the city.Mumbai was rocked by voilence on Februaury 3 when Raj had outraged people from Bihar by calling the Chhat festival a 'drama'.

The Raj Thackeray-led MNS has been targeting north Indian migrants living in the metropolis and taken objection to celebrations like Chhat puja and Uttar Pradesh Diwas in Maharashtra.

He also criticised film star Amitabh Bachchan, calling him an out and out regionalist, for favouring Uttar Pradesh over Maharashtra. He scathingly refered to West Bengal's Communists as non-liberal and unsecular.

He criticised English and Hindi language journalists while addressing a press conference, for reporting in a biased manner on his activities over the last few days on Saturday.

Barring both English and Hindi language journalists from a "Marathi only" press conference, Raj appeared more obstinate than ever on his insistence that those wanting to live in Maharashtra should adopt the ways of Maharashtrians.

Earlier, violence had rocked Maharashtra as the Samajwadi Party (SP), which is largely based in Uttar Pradesh, took out a rally despite the threat of disruption by Thackeray. (ANI)