| Police also booked Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abu Azmi for provocative speech along with Raj under Section 153-A and 153-B of the India Penal Code (IPC) at the Azad Maidan police station of the city. |
| While Raj has already made it clear that he will not seek anticipatory bail, Azmi could not be contacted. |
| Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was in Latur, said the state government would take strict action against people or organisations provoking violence against outsiders. "These Indian citizens from other states have every right to stay in Mumbai and Maharashtra and their protection is our prime duty. As nobody is above law, the state government will not spare anybody taking law in his hands," Deshmukh said in a press statement. |
| Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) KL Prasad told reporters here that all precautions were being taken to ensure that there was no fallout on the law and order situation. |
| "If required, additional forces would be deployed," he said. Asked when they would be arrested, he said it depends on the Investigating Officers (IOs) of the respective cases. |
| Meanwhile, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee President and MP Gurudas Kamat expressed happiness over the registration of offences against Raj Thackeray and Abu Azmi but also blamed Mumbai police for delay in taking action and demanded both should be arrested immediately. |
| Addressing a press conference here today, Kamat said: "Once Mumbai police was equated with Scotland Yard but it seems it is no longer the case, Police had enough evidence in form of footage from electronic media and news items in print about how violence was orchestrated, who was responsible for it and who actually indulged in it on the streets, but unfortunately, we have to say Mumbai police failed to take swift action". |
Top Section
Explore Business Standard