Violence in 6 Maharashtra towns on Raj arrest fears

Violence spread beyond Mumbai to six towns in Maharashtra including Pune and Nashik today with Raj Thackeray's supporters targeting North Indian migrants and stoning public transport buses apprehending his arrest while central paramilitary forces were rushed to the state.

The state government, which had sought central forces, appeared edgy in arresting Raj Thackeray as tension gripped the state, a day after an FIR was filed against the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena(MNS) chief.

In Mumbai, there was a heavy deployment of police around the Dadar residence of Raj, whose spokesman Shishir Shinde said that there was no question of the MNS leader seeking anticipatory bail.

Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) PS Pasricha said incidents of stone pelting were reported from Aurangabad, Latur, Jalna, Beed,Nashik and Pune but described them as ordinary in nature.

Several shops in Mumbai downed shutters in Lower Parel, Worli, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli and Bhandup areas, anticipating trouble in the event of Raj's arrest.

In Nashik, where the MNS has some presence, there were reports some north Indian migrants had left the town by trains after attacks on fruit-vendors and stone pelting on buses.

FIRs have been registered against both Raj and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi for "inciting" people and "promoting" enmity between regional groups. Azmi presented himself before the police for them to arrest him but they declined for the moment.

"I can assure you that the cases will be taken to logical conclusion in days... not months or years", DGP Pasricha told reporters.

Pressure on the Centre was further intensified by the Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, who today said it should intervene in the situation in the wake of the attacks on North Indians triggered by the controversial remarks made against them by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray.

"Yes, it (Centre) should intervene. It is a law and order problem," Singh told reporters here.

He was responding to a question on whether the central government should intervene in the situation arising out of Thackeray's anti-North Indian remarks. Interestingly, Congress is in power both at Centre and in the state.

"These activities are not in the interest of the country," Singh said when asked to comment on Thackeray's remarks and the violence that ensued.

Asked about the proposed reservation for OBCs in elite educational institutions, he said: "The Supreme Court has to give its judgement."