Raj Thackeray takes swipe at Hazare

Mumbai, Jul 12: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray today (Jul 12) took swipe at Anna Hazare, saying the noted social activist will have to ultimately take the support of politicians to get the Lokpal Bill passed.

Raj was responding to Hazare's statement on Saturday that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of NCP and the MNS leader indulged in mud slinging and they were cut from the same cloth.

"We may be cut from the same cloth but finally he has to do the rounds of the politicians to get the Lokpal Bill passed in Parliament," the MNS chief said.

Raj was speaking to reporters after a delegation of mill workers met him at his residence here. The delegation sought his intervention to get houses for the mill workers.

Raj said he along with his party MLAs, office-bearers and workers will participate in a morcha organised by the mill workers on July 27 to highlight their demands.

"The issue of houses for the mill workers is pending since last so many years but the Government is doing nothing." People who come from other states and live in illegal manner get permanent houses, but the mill workers who are "Marathi speaking" do not get their own dwellings, Raj said.

"The Government asks the Marathi-speaking people to produce domicile certificate but not to those coming from outside." He suggested that MHADA flats can also be given to mill workers by allotting a specific quota to them.

The MNS leader said he will talk to Leader of opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Eknath Khadse of BJP on the issue of houses for mill workers.

PTI