Come to Byculla and attack hawkers: AIMIM MLA Waris Pathan dares Raj Thackeray

Waris Pathan, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) legislator from Byculla has thrown an open challenge to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray to come to his constituency and attack hawkers.

The MNS had recently launched an agitation against illegal hawkers on railway station premises in Mumbai and surrounding areas following the Elphinstone Road station stampede.

The latest campaigns of the party are being seen as an attempt to revive its fortunes following several electoral setbacks.

Calling Raj Thackeray 'Buja Hua Diya', the AIMIM legislature said, the MNS chief is doing 'gundagiri' to keep the party alive.

"If Raj Thackeray feels hawkers are encroaching why don't he register a complaint about them. Why doesn't he approach the BMC, take a legal course? He goes to the area where poor people do business. Come to Byculla and attack...hawkers.... We know how to deal..,"   Waris Pathan said addressing to media.

AIMIM MLA Adv Waris Pathan Challenge MNS Chief Raj Thackeray To Come In Byculla And Attack Hawkers, @asadowaisi @warispathan pic.twitter.com/4NCR66TZXL

— Irfan Khan (@irfankhan1802) December 3, 2017

Last week, the feud between the MNS and Mumbai Congress unit chief Sanjay Nirupam over the hawkers issue took a violent turn after MNS workers allegedly vandalised the MRCC office.

A day after the stampede that claimed 22 lives, Thackeray had said such stampedes would continue to occur in Mumbai till hordes of migrants keep pouring into the city.

The MNS leader, who has stoked controversies with his anti-migrant rhetoric, had said, "There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions."