Mock court of Patna women award capital punishment to Raj, Balasaheb Thackeray

Patna, Mar 8 : Scores of women in Patna held a mock court session on Saturday to protest against discriminatory treatment meted out to north Indians who migrated to Maharashtra and awarded capital punishment to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray.

The women's court, which coincided with International Women's Day, alleged that the 'Thackerays' were responsible for the violence that Maharashtra witnessed during the last month.

"Through this mock court session, we wanted to send the message across that Biharis (people of Bihar) are not rogues. Rather, we want to teach Raj Thackeray and Bal Thackeray a lesson and tell them what we are.... they are anti-social elements and should be punished. Our mock court has delivered a verdict of hanging them till death," said Anita Singh, President, Rashtriya Mahila Brigade.

Mumbai Police last month arrested Raj Thackeray for inciting violence after his party's workers attacked north Indians who migrated to the city. He was later released on bail.

Less than 50 percent of Mumbai's 17 million residents are Maharashtrians.

MNS says it wants more jobs for what it calls the "sons of the soil" and greater respect from Mumbaikers whose roots lie elsewhere. The party said the recent violence was not ordered by the party, but was rather a spontaneous outburst of injured Maharashtrian pride.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena (Hindu radical outfit) supremo, Bal Thackeray, has been making a bid to recapture his party's 'sons of the soil plank' in Maharashtra, which has been hijacked by his estranged nephew Raj Thackeray.

In an editorial published in his party's mouthpiece 'Saamna', Balasaheb Thackeray had slammed lawmakers from Bihar for creating a ruckus in the parliament over the migrants' row in Mumbai.

ANI