Hate speech: Raj Thackeray temporarily stops stir, will protect auto drivers

Facing severe flak over his burn autorickshaws of outsiders remark MNS chief Raj Thackeray today appeared to tone down his aggressive posturing and asked party activists to halt the agitation even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured auto drivers protectionThackerays call to end the stir for the time being came against the backdrop of an autorickshaw being set ablaze on Char Bungalow Road in Andheri West by unidentified persons last night a day after the MNS chief made an aggressive speech to mark his partys 10th anniversaryMNS chief Raj ThackeraySince new autorickshaws have not come on roads yet and some antisocial elements are taking undue advantage of the situation Raj Thackeray has said that until further orders no action should be taken by party workers MNS leader Shirish Sawant said in a statement issued hereThese orders have to be followed strictly he added On his part Fadnavis made light of Rajs threat saying his government is dutybound to protect all such auto driversAnyone meeting the stipulated conditions will get permits and it is the governments duty to protect those who get these permits the CM told reporters at state legislature complex hereSnubbing Raj for his allegation that Bajaj Auto was set to make a huge profit from the sale of autorickshaws to new permitholders the CM said his government doesnt work for a company Bajaj but for the common manClaiming that 70 per cent of new autorickshaw permits were given to nonMarathis Raj had threatened on Wednesday that MNS workers would set on fire such autos if they are seen plying on roadsMeanwhile Shiv Sena which aggressively postures itself as custodian of the Marathi cause took a swipe at MNS without taking any namesWe the Sena are the ones who douse fires Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing a Mumbai Fire Brigade function in suburban VikhroliMNS which was routed in Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections is desperately looking for a come back and Rajs statement is viewed in context of the elections to BMC elections due next yearHowever the issue has already gathered a political steam with Samajwadi Party SP leader Abu Asim Azmi today asking government to take stringent action in this regardWhile the Congress and NCP have already sought prosecution of Raj for his hate speech the comments have also evoked a strong rebuttal from MLAs in Bihar with deputy CM and RJD leader Tejswi Yadav slamming the MNS chief Mumbai Police are already analysing Rajs speechShiv Sena leader and Transport Minister Diwakar Raote hasalso ridiculed the MNS chiefs contention that a total of70000 autorickshaw permits are on offerMNS chiefs contention fits the adageignorance isbliss he said adding that 41000 permits are on offerRecently Minister of State for Home Rural Ram Shindehad said that government would take stern action against thosetaking law into their own handsMeanwhile the Sena chief said Until and unlessterrorist activities and relations with Pakistan do notimprove till then do not maintain any ties with PakistanUntil and unless this unanimous demand is not echoed in thecountry till then these antics of Pakistan will not stopHis comments came against the backdrop of the reportedrefusal by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh tohost the World Twenty20 group match against Pakistan inDharamsala and subsequent relocation of the venue to Kolkata