North Indian delegation meets Mah CM

Mumbai, Feb 4 (UNI) A delegation of North Indians today met Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and demanded the arrest of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for his tirade against the community.

The delegation, led by former ministers and Congress MLAs -- Nasim Khan and Kripashankar Singh--along with representatives of various North Indian associations, met the Chief Minister and told him that the police had not taken appropriate action against the MNS chief and his followers.

They also informed him that the MNS chief has been spreading hatred against the North Indians for the last eight days and he was not served any show-cause notice.

''The activists yesterday took the law in their hands and attacked many taxi drivers and small vendors, while the police were mute spectators,'' said Mr Khan.

He alleged Samajwadi Party leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Abu Asim Azmi along with MNS chief Raj Thackeray are ''creating divisions and gaining cheap publicity at the cost of their activists.'' ''Both the MNS and SP are disturbing the peace in the city, that is the plus point of Maharashtra and since their parties have no issues, they are creating panic in the city,'' Mr Singh said.

Addressing a joint news conference outside Mantralaya, they said the Chief Minister has assured them of strict and appropriate action in this regard.

UNI AAA SSS VD HS1942