Court summons to Raj Thackeray for alleged hate speeches

New Delhi, Aug 30: A Delhi court issued summons against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief

for his alleged hate speeches against north Indians and instigating violence against them on various occasions.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Manish Yaduvanshi directed that summons be issued against Raj Thackeray for Sept 28. The court's order came on three different cases lodged against Thackeray, one of which pertains to attack by MNS supporters on north Indian students, including students from Bihar, appearing for the railways' entrance exam in Mumbai on Oct 20, 2008.

The case was registered on a complaint by an advocate Murad Ali. It was pending in the court of CJM in Betiya in Bihar before being transferred here. Two other cases lodged by one Sudhakar Ojha relates to MNS chief's alleged remarks against "Chhath Pooja,' a Hindu festival celebrated especially in Bihar, calling it a "drama" and "show of numerical strength".

The three were among the seven cases transferred by the Supreme Court to Delhi in Nov 2011. Of the seven cases, five were registered in Jharkhand and two in Bihar by different individuals. Thackeray had sought transfer of all cases to one place.

PTI