New Delhi, February 1
The rift between the Shiv Sena and the BJP became wide open today with BJP president Nitin Gadkari, toeing the RSS line, strongly opposed the “Mumbai for Marathis” refrain of its oldest saffron ally, the Shiv Sena. This seems to have endangered the survival of the 12-year-old Opposition NDA alliance, though Gadkari denied per se any threat to the NDA.

The BJP president issued a lengthy statement today saying, “It has been a consistent stand of the BJP that the constitutional guarantee under Article 19 (1) (e) that all Indians shall have “the right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India” aids and enables national unity and integration. It is on the basis of this principle that we have always opposed Article 370 in the context of J&K as an impediment in national unity.” “The BJP has always recognised linguistic, regional and religious identities as a reality of India. But the strength of India’s unity in diversity is achieved when all these identities eventually converge into a larger national identity of Indianness. There is and can never be a conflict between these,” he said.

Gadkari, however, tried to play down the political import of his statement in challenging the Shiv Sena premise, maintaining that since both were independent parties, they could have different views on several issues. But the issue could become complicated. Faced with stiff competition from prodigal nephew Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has attempted to return to his original agenda of Mumbai for Marathis and other related hate issues.

Denouncing the Sena thesis, RSS chief Mohanrao Bhagwat questioned the premise and first pronounced “Mumbai for all Indians”. Then prominent Sena leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi reiterated the Thackeray line of Mumbai only for Marathis. And later Sena working president and Balasaheb’s son Udhav Thackeray snubbed Bhagwat forcing Gadkari to react sharply to the Sena tirade. Gadkari, the first Maharashtrian to head the BJP, clearly indicated that the BJP was keen to go public on its differences with the Shiv Sena on the issue.

Mumbai, February 1
The war of words between the Shiv Sena and the RSS intensified today with Uddhav Thackeray launching a frontal attack on the latter over the influx of north Indian migrants into Mumbai.

Thackeray hit out at RSS leader Ram Madhav for his comments on Sunday asking Sangh cadres to protect north Indians in Mumbai from the Shiv Sena. “We don’t need lessons in patriotism and unity from Ram Madhav,” Thackeray told reporters here today.

Questioning the commitment of RSS to Hindus, Thackeray said the organisation did not matter in Mumbai. “Where was the RSS when the Sena protected the Hindus during the 1992 riots with Muslim,” he asked. He went on to advise Madhav to take up the cause of Hindi-speaking people in Assam or concentrate on teaching the language to the people of south Indian states.

Uddhav also hit out at the RSS for ignoring the plight of Marathi people who, as per him, were discriminated against in Karnataka's Belgaum district.

The Shiv Sena leader also warned that his party would not tolerate any “anti-Marathi” stand by any organisation. “Anyone coming in the way of Marathi people would have to first face the Sena,” he said.

Thackeray’s unequivocal opposition to the senior leadership of the RSS comes at a time when the Sena's ally, the BJP, is toeing the Sangh line. With both the saffron outfits not bothering to qualify their bipolar stands like they did in the past, it remains to be seen how they put an united front in Maharashtra in the coming days.

Igniting the regional divide: Activists of a pro-Muslim body burn the poster of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in New Delhi on Monday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui

Reserve jobs for ethnic Marathis: Raj
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, January 1
With cousin Uddhav Thackeray hogging all the spotlight, MNS leader Raj Thackeray who kicked off the anti-migrant tirade last year has hardened his stand. Rejecting Uddhav's demand for reserving jobs for domiciles, Raj says only someone born into a Marathi family can be called rightfully called the son of the soil.

“Only because you can write, read and speak Marathi does not give you the right to take away jobs of the locals," Raj said at a party function on . All jobs in Maharashtra, Raj said, should be reserved for ethnic Marathis.

"If you are not a Marathi by birth you are not entitled to jobs here," Raj said. He went on to chide party workers who were distributing Marathi primers to North Indian taxi drivers in Mumbai. "Who told you to teach them Marathi?" Raj asked his party workers.