OnJune 16 this year when Uddhav was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital and ResearchCentre at Bandra here, Raj returned from Alibaug to be with his cousin. AfterUddhav underwent angiography, Raj drove him to Matoshree, the suburbanresidence of the Thackerays at Bandra.
Since2005, when Raj left the umbrella of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, thetwo cousins have often been at war of words. In between Maharashtra saw one LokSabha and one Vidhan Sabha polls and two elections of the BrihanMumbaiMunicipal Corporation (BMC), the biggest and richest civic body of Asia and theworld.
Butafter June 16, Uddhav Thackeray, who is the Executive President of Shiv Sena,underwent angioplasty and later the senior Thackeray was too admitted to thehospital, the political circles have seen a different political scenario. RajThackeray, the President of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has calmed down againstthe Shiv Sena.
“Olava shillak aahe (the emotional warmth isintact between the two brothers). We have said during our campaign that theblood is always thicker than water and this will bring the two brotherstogether one day. We never wanted them to meet in this manner, but we alwayswanted the two to meet over a cup of 'chai' and forget their differences,” saidpolitical activist Satish Walunj, who has been campaigning for Shiv Sena andMNS and the two cousins to come together.
But, politically, the two warringThackeray cousins may not come together completely, but there could besome sort of an understanding in the times to come. Post the council andcorporation polls one has seen the difference.
When Raj demanded the resignation of HomeMinister R R Patil and Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik (he was promotedto the rank of DGP and transferred as Managing Director of Maharashtra StateSecurity Corporation), in the wake of August 11 violence Uddhav supportedhim. After Raj took out a rally demanding their resignations, Uddhav wasasked about the issue, to which he replied: ““I wish to see more such rallies like the onecarried out by MNS onto Azad Maidan demanding resignation of Home Minister RRPatil and Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik and against the State government. Iam more concerned about the violent rally carriedout on August 11”.
Thereafter Raj and Uddhav were seentogether on another issue “ the arrest of a youth from Bihar.
Thetwo Thackeray cousins has lashed out at Bihar Chief Secretary Navin Kumar,who has threatened legal action against the Mumbai Police for arresting a youthfrom Sitamarhi district, who had allegedly desecrated and damaged the AmarJawan memorial during the August 11 mob violence. While Uddhav has threatenedNavin Kumar with "cases", MNS President Raj lashed out atthreatened to brand Biharis as "infiltrators" and force them out ofMaharashtra.
NavinKumar has written to Mumbai police commissioner voicing displeasure over thearrest of the youth, Abdul Quadir Mohammed Yunus Ansari, 19, one of the accusedwho destroyed the Amar Jawan memorial. So far two persons have been arresteddestroying the Amar Jawan memorial - the other being Shahbad Abdul Qadir Shaikh,20, from Mahim in Mumbai.
Raj saidthat the letter (from Navin Kumar) says Mumbai police has to get in touch withthe Bihar government before picking up any person from their State.If Mumbai Crime Branch picks up people from their State without the knowledgeof the Bihar police they would face legal action," he said referringto the letter.
"Ifthe Bihar government tries to become a hurdle in the way of a policeinvestigation, then my party would dub every Bihari in Maharashtra asan infiltrator and would force them to leave the State," Raj said."The person who desecrated the Amar Jawan memorial was arrestedfrom Bihar. I would like to tell the Bihar chief secretary thatbecause of your State, the crime rate (in Maharashtra) has gone up," hesaid. Thackeray also questioned Bihar Chief Minister NitishKumar's silence on the issue.
"Whyis Nitish Kumar is not saying anything? Where have the leaders from the Stateand Delhi gone? Why was the chief secretary not slammed for his remarks,"he asked.
Meanwhile, Uddhav,in a statement in Saamna, the party mouthpiece, said that "cases"must be filed against the Bihar Chief Secretary. "The statementof the Bihar Chief Secretary supports anti-nationalpeople......Bihar is not in Pakistan, it is in India, what is his relationwith the people who desecrated the Amar Jawan memorial....If you like AbdulQaadir....there are several anti-national people like Abdul Quadir inMumbai.....put them in shackles and take them to Bihar," he said.
Theunison in issues of the two Thackeray cousins have come as a surprise to peoplein political circles.
