Playing up the Marathi Manus card going against their party line, Narayan Rane on Tuesday launched an attack on the estranged Thackeray cousins for allegedly defeating the faith of locals by joining hands with forces trying to weaken Maharashtra.
Taking a dig at Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, ex-industries minister and Congress' election campaign chief Narayan Rane said their presidents, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray respectively, are copying him even as they target the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for trying to run away with key installations from the state to Gujarat in an attempt to weaken Maharashtra.
"Be it the coast guard hub in Palghar or departments of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in Mumbai, offices or installations are being shifted outside the state. A former prime minister from Gujarat, Morarji Desai, had earlier tried to isolate Mumbai and connect it with Gujarat. It did not happen then. But now another PM from Gujarat, Modi, is trying the same thing even as he claims Maharashtra will remain intact to fool the public," Rane said.
The former chief minister claimed that he was the first leader to voice concerns over the 'threat' and Uddhav and Raj are following that now.
Speaking on the sidelines of a campaign rally in Sindhudurga's Vaibhavwadi, where he canvassed for his younger son Nitesh who is contesting from Kankavli assembly segment, Rane said he would foil all the attempts to weaken Maharashtra.
In a continued tirade against Gujaratis, Nitesh alleged that the community is trying to take over the control of Mumbai. "The number of Gujaratis has grown significantly over the past few years. Out of the total 36 constituencies in Mumbai, 13 seats are such where the Gujarati votes are deciders. At the same time, Gujaratis don't allow others to buy flats in their towers, especially those eating non-vegetarian food. This has resulted in the rise of Gujarati populace," said Nitesh, whose tweet about rise in the number of 'veg towers' in parts of the city had evoked sharp reactions from the Gujarati community in August.
"We are not against Gujaratis who want to remain in harmony, but are against those who want to take control of the city," Nitesh added.
Meanwhile, leaders from the Gujarati community have reacted sharply to the remarks. "There is no such attempt (to weaken Maharashtra). Gujaratis in Mumbai have been living here even before the two states came into existence and the number of people migrating from Gujarat to Maharashtra is very small. Gujaratis embrace the local culture wherever they go. The Ranes have made these comments keeping the elections in mind. What have they done for the Marathis?" said Dilip Patel, BJP's former group leader in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}