MNS activists protest ration card ‘racket’

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists staged protests outside ration card offices across the city on Wednesday against the alleged “misuse of ration cards”. Atleast six ration card offices were locked by party members and more than 500 activists were detained by the police. They were later released in the evening. The agitation is being seen as an attempt by the party to step up its campaign ahead of the 2007 civic polls.

The protests were carried out at 16 ration card offices including Andheri, Bandra, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar, Mulund, Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Kalachowki, Mazgaon, Dadar, Chembur and other places. Sandip Dalvi, MNS Andheri Vibhag president said, “We know that the Andheri office issues many illegal ration cards. How can they give a ration card to someone living in Andheri for only six months?” Dalvi warned that they would intensify their agitation if the authorities failed to clamp down on the ration card racket before Ganpati Utsav.

“Many card-holders don’t live in the address mentioned in their cards. We will expose the corrupt officials who sanction the cards without verifying documents.”

MNS president Raj Thackeray had asked party workers to shut down all ration card offices in his Azad Maidan morcha last week. Linking the issuing of ration cards with the growing influx of migrants in the city, including Bangladeshis, MNS spokesperson Shishir Shinde said,” Ration cards clearly state that they cannot be used for any other purpose except buying ration. But they are being used to issue taxi permits, passports and other documents.”