Hate speech: High Court notices to Raj Thackeray, Ajit Pawar

The Bombay high court on Wednesday issued notices to the state government, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray following a public interest litigation seeking criminal action against the leaders. The PIL claimed they instigated their party workers which recently resulted in sporadic instances of riots across the state.

A division bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and AP Bhangale was hearing a PIL filed by activist Hemant Patil who has also sought that the government recover cost of damage caused to public property from the political leaders. Next hearing is on April 25.

There were instances of violence across the state after Pawar and Thackeray criticised each other publicly. The two leaders had been taking potshots at each other via public platforms. This had outraged their workers who had then engaged in rioting in several parts of the state.

The PIL states: “In various districts across the state, party workers of MNS and NCP have been indulging in violent activities and disturbing peace and harmony of the society. The MNS chief has used vulgar and abusive words against various other political leaders, such as Sushilkumar Shinde and Sharad Pawar.”

Pawar, nephew of NCP leader Sharad Pawar, had recently attacked Thackeray for
mimicking political leaders during a visit to Kolhapur, saying it would only “entertain” people and not solve state’s problems like drought.

Thackeray retaliated by accusing Pawar, who headed the water resources ministry between 1999 and 2009, of being responsible for water scarcity despite spending huge amounts on irrigation projects.

There have been allegations of a Rs70,000-crore scam in the irrigation department, which has been with NCP since inception of the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra in 1999.

Furious over Thackeray’s accusation against their leader, NCP workers had hurled stones at MNS leader’s convoy at Bhingar in Ahmednagar district on February 26, triggering a spate of incidents of violence and arson in Mumbai, Pune and Thane.

@DNA