Mumbai: Fix parking, hawker mess before fighting urban naxals, says Raj Thackeray

In the recently concluded Maharashtra Legislative Assembly session, the government passed a Special Public Security Bill aimed at preventing unlawful activities of extremist groups, with a focus on urban Naxalism. Reacting sarcastically to the move, Raj said, “There is only law, but no order.” He was referring to issues like illegal parking, hawkers taking over footpaths, and other civic problems, which, according to him, the administration has turned a blind eye to.

Raj further claimed that he had given specific suggestions to the government, such as developing underground parking facilities beneath open spaces (grounds in Mumbai) and using different colour markings to identify parking and no-parking zones. He said, “Two-wheelers do not follow signals. People parktheir  cars wherever they want. At several places, double parking is common. All these need to be stopped. The situation is out of control, but it can still be managed. However, if no action is taken now, a time will come when the situation will worsen further and will be impossible to bring back on track.”

During his meeting with Fadnavis, the MNS chief urged the government to come up with a proper action plan to address issues that are making life miserable for Mumbaikars. “Now, the problem is not limited to Mumbai. It is spreading to other cities like Pune, Thane, and Navi Mumbai. One needs to understand the seriousness of the issue. It is not just about us; it is about our future generation too,” Raj explained.

Speaking on the migrant issue, Thackeray alleged that people encroach on land to set up slums. “There is a huge land parcel of Godrej. But, there is no encroachment as it is guarded very well. However, government land and other open spaces are encroached upon because those responsible for preventing encroachments are either neglecting their duty or deliberately ignoring it,” Raj added.

He also requested the media not to ask questions on other topics, especially politics, as it would divert attention from Mumbai’s core issues. However, since Raj’s meeting with Fadnavis came a day after the BEST Credit Society election results, journalists pressed him for a reaction. Raj responded, “It is a small credit society election. There is no point drawing conclusions or attempting to analyse it.”

Interestingly, Raj and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray had joined hands to form a panel for the BEST Credit Society elections. Despite the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance, they failed to win even a single seat out of the total 21, even though a majority of the voters were Marathi members.

People are worried about pigeons, not humans, says Raj Thackeray

MNS chief Raj Thackeray also criticised those who support pigeon feeding despite knowing the health risks it poses. Raj said, “People are worried about pigeons, but not about human lives.” He further claimed that some tried to politicise the issue but failed. “We (MNS) know when to respond,” he added.

Taking another dig at the government, Raj said that society is distracted by trivial matters like elephants and pigeons. “Every day, many people die after falling from trains, but no one talks or protests about it. Instead, we see debates on pigeons and elephants. This is nothing but diverting attention from the real issues and problems of citizens,” Raj stated.