SC to hear petition against Raj Thackeray

New Delhi, Feb 22: The Supreme Court will today hear a petition seeking direction to the Election Commission to derecognise Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) for his controversial remarks against north Indians.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan will hear the petition. On February 8, the apex court had refused to grant urgent hearing to the petition filed by Advocate Arvind Shukla. Thackeray's remarks were intended to cause hatred among people and if he and his party activists were not checked from indulging in unlawful activities it may lead to the situation of civil war, the petition contended. According to Shukla's petition, such a situation can be prevented if the Election Commission derecognises his party, MNS, which has been used as a 'banner for attacking north Indians in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai'.

The impact of Thackeray's remarks was such that retaliatory attacks on Maharashtrians have been reported from Jharkhand, the petition maintained. It is also mentioned in the petition that people who involved in cultural activities and film industries from other parts of the country have also been attacked.

The petitioner said every citizen has a right under the Constitution to move around freely and settle in any part of the country.

ANI