Mumbai Congresschief Sanjay Nirupam today demanded stringent action against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers for damaging Gujarati signboards of some commercial establishments in city and neighbouring Vasai.
"Mumbai is the only city which has accepted people of different social, economical and cultural backgrounds and it is known for its diversity. We want a Modi-Mukt India but not at the cost of hurting Gujaratis. Stringent action needs to be taken against those who carried out these acts of violence," Nirupam said in a statement.
While the MNS activists broke a shop in suburban Kandivli and six hotels in Vasai, the fact that only four arrests were made in Kandivli raises serious questions on the functioning of the Mumbai Police, it said.
"If the culprits are not punished now, such mind set will be encouraged to commit more violence which can do no good to the city," he said.
Nirupam said repetitive indulgence in violence by MNS cadres proves that they don't fear the law.
Suspected MNS workers had damaged the Gujarati signboards on the intervening night of March 18 and 19, hours after party president Raj Thackeray called for a "Modi-mikt Bharat" and appealed to all like-minded parties to unite to defeat the BJP in 2019 polls.