Maharashtra Police issues notice to Raj Thackeray for inciting violence

Mumbai, May 9 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil on Friday said that a notice served on the Maharashtra Navnirmana Sena's (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray by the police for his inflammatory speech targeting North Indians was a warning to prevent such an offence in future.

"It is a warning to prevent any offence in future. This will have an impact. The earlier notice had a positive effect. As far as the content of the speech (Raj Thackeray's speech) is concerned, the law and judiciary is taking care of that," said Patil.

The notice was sent to Raj on Thursday for the provocative speech he delivered on May 3. He refused to accept the notice so the police pasted the notice on the gate of his house.

The notice comes after Patil promised action against Raj once his remarks had been analysed.

The notice served by the Mumbai police stated that he should refrain from "committing a cognizable offence in future''.

The notice has been served under the provisions of Section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and can be used against Raj in a court if he commits a cognizable crime.

The police who had served a similar notice on Raj before his rally on May 3, are contemplating action against him for promoting enmity between different groups of people during Saturday's 70-minute speech in which he attacked North Indians.

Raj, who led a violent anti-north Indian campaign in February, was arrested on the same charge on February 13 before being released on bail.

Thackeray and his outfit had in February this year unleashed a vituperative campaign against "outsiders" targeting migrants from northern India whom they accuse of robbing local Maharashtrians of jobs.

For generations, willing-to-do-anything migrants from these two states and elsewhere have flooded Mumbai, displacing Maharashtrians in jobs and taking control of the economy.

Violence rocked Mumbai earlier this year when Raj was accused of pandering to regional chauvinism for political mileage.

ANI