I want to rule Maharashtra: Raj

Nashik, Sep 27 (UNI) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray today reiterated his wish to rule the state.

''Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh blamed me of running a parallel government. I want to run the government itself, not a parallel or shadow government. I am not interested in running a parallel government,'' said Raj in a programme here.

''People criticise me for dividing the nation. They try to convince me that Hindi is our national language. But, in many other states, people do not speak Hindi, no one tries to convince them.

Maharashtra has always cared for the nation, but the nation never cared for it. When the nation will think of Maharashtra, the state will think of the nation,'' Raj thundered, saying, even people like former Prime Minister P V Narsimha Rao thought of his people and the state after becoming the Prime Minister. Earlier, he fought many elections from Ramtek in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region.

Mr Thackeray warned people of intrusion by the outsiders. ''They will continue their intrusion here, if you won't remain alert,'' he said.

He warned the outsiders to refrain from creating their own constituencies in the state.

''I don't want to be recognised as another addition of leaders who show people new dreams. I don't want to lead 'corpses' (emotionless passive people). You should have the flame in you to fight for your cause,'' the MNS leader said in his message to the party workers.

Earlier, Raj addressed another programme, where thousands of youths entered his party today. Among them were 42 Shiv Sainiks, led by Anil Rajput from Dhule district and 2,000-2,500 others led by Somnath Jadhav, from Dindori taluka of Nashik.

In his message to the students, he advised them to utilise their exuberance for the cause of Maharashtra, saying ''Everyone thinks of his people, you should also think of your own people. Your generation should have the conscience of the sacrifice of the martyrs, who fought for Sanyukta Maharashtra.'' ''Wherever you go, think of your people, your culture first,'' he added.

Meanwhile, in the career guidance camp on Mass Media by MNS, noted journalist Raju Parulekar endorsed Raj's stand on the Marathi cause, saying consistency, hard work and discipline were the requisite qualities needed for a career in Mass Media.

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