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Mumbai for all: Thackeray slams Mukesh Ambani

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Express News Service

Posted: Jan 30, 2010 at 2359 hrs IST

Mumbai Two months after inviting the wrath of many for slamming Sachin Tendulkar for saying that Mumbai belonged to all, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has done it again. On Friday, he lambasted industrialist Mukesh Ambani for saying the same thing and declared, “Maharashtrians have the same right over Mumbai as Mukesh Ambani has over the Reliance companies.”

Thackeray said, in a statement, that Mumbai was the capital of Maharashtra and would stay so, and added that many celebrities were unnecessarily competing to make statements about Mumbai. “Suo motu claims were being made.”  

Participating in a panel discussion at the launch of Not by Reason Alone: The Politics of Change in India by Rajya Sabha MP and former bureaucrat NK Singh, Ambani had said Mumbai belongs to all Indians and its cabbies were trapped in the licence raj. “We are all Indians first. Our cities — whether Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata or Chennai — belong to all Indians. There should be equal opportunities. We, in corporate India, have got out of the licence raj but the poor taxiwallah is still trapped (in the licence raj),” he had said.

“Pandit Mukesh Ambani has made enlightened statements about cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi belonging to the entire country. Then why were cities like Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Rajkot excluded? This is a question. He should search for the answer himself. But today, we are stressing and warning all industrialists, including Mukesh Ambani. Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra and will stay the capital of Maharashtra. Only Maharashtrians will have the first right over Mumbai,” said Thackeray, while making references to the Samyukta Maharashtra struggle that called for the creation of a unified state of Maharashtra with its capital at Mumbai.

“No one should dare to look at Mumbai and the Maharashtrians with an evil eye; even if it is any industrialist or entrepreneur. The Maharashtrians have the same right over Mumbai as Mukesh Ambani has over the Reliance companies. The only difference is that your right is for business while the right of Maharashtrians is of pride... We are warning you against taking on the Maharashtrians.”

Thackeray said statements about Mumbai belonging to all and being open for migration were being made by a few as a selfish means to show their feelings for national integration without caring for Maharashtrians. He said Mukesh Ambani’s father — the late Dhirubhai Ambani — had love for Mumbai and the Ambanis could rule over the corporate world owing to Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Reacting to Thackeray’s remarks, the NCP said Ambani’s statements about Mumbai belonging to all did not reflect “disrespect to Maharashtra.” Spokesperson Madan Bafna said, “There is nothing wrong or disrespectful of Maharashtra (in Ambani’s statements). Saying that Mumbai belongs to all does not mean that it does not belong to Maharashtrians.”

Congress leader Hussain Dalwai agreed with Thackeray’s contention about Maharashtrians having the first right on the metropolis, but said it did not mean that Hindi could be disrespected. “There is no question. It is not possible for anyone to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra... But standing by Maharashtrians does not mean disrespecting Hindi.”

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Stop Discrimination, Do SWOT analysis to make Community "Marathi Manoos" a respectable name at National Level by Chitrakar on 31 Jan 2010

Sad to say, but Thackerey family has mad a joke of a community called Marathi Manoos. They should explore the ground reasons why Marathi Manoos is non competitive or at par with other Indians. The primary reasons are 1. Induction of chauvinist Wrong values which restricts them to be progressive. 2.Poor quality of State Board education which is nowhere competitive with standards set by CBSE board. This makes students from this region below par when compared with average students from UP, Bihar 3. Not Unlike Others the Marathi Manoos community is also willing to upgrade their standard of living but they are just headed direction less by the greedy leaders like Thackereys. It is my sincere appeal to understand root cause of the real problem of "degradation of Marathi Manoos Culture". This is done by Sena and unfortunately they are fighting for it.

rubbish... by amit on 31 Jan 2010

You threat to take law into your hands giving a wrong example. Two wrongs do not make one right. You take the name of one of the bravest sons of India, Shivaji, and yet, cannot write your own name. Our great King never wanted separatism, he wanted integration. Using his name, you have threated to break laws and indulge in violence. Whoever you are, do not take Shivaji's name, our great king will be ashamed of you. And who are you to speak on behalf of all Maharashtrians? Who has given you the right to speak on my behalf? If you want to separate, you can migrate to any part of the world. Do not force your views on the general public. And whoever breaks laws, up-wallah, bihari, bengali, tamilian, maharashtrian, etc etc needs to be booked. Every financial capital of the world bears the brunt of migration. Do you want to stay in moon?

Bal Thackeray by Raj on 30 Jan 2010

Bal Thackeray and his entire family is nothing more than piece of shit. He along with his family needs to be thrown out of not just Bombay but entire India. They belong is countries like Pakistan and Iran. This family has stopped grown of Bombay for last 30 years and has done nothing more than create problems to people (marathi or non-marathi).

FIRST RIGHT by N.ASTI on 30 Jan 2010

This "FIRST RIGHT" concept has been started by Congress.The way in which Mumbai belongs to all,it is equally true that country's resources belong equally to all deserving Indians. When Congress went against this principle and P.M. said indirectly that majority community has right only on the residue of the resources left out after minority eat away thro' Sachar/Rangnath recommendations,Mr.Ambani was silent.Hence his statement about Mumbai is a political one. That's not fair,since for majority community these are the days of 'Indian first and nothing next'.

Communal Violence Kills Bombay's Cosmopolitan Nature by Bharat on 30 Jan 2010

Poona or Nagpur is very ideal, location-wise/language-wise to become capital of Maharashtra as Bombay has been exhibiting cosmopolitan nature during several decades in the past. Such a big city should come under central govt. rule enabling every Indian to enjoy life equally well being an Indian. It will be a shame for the nation that every now and then we see undesirable communal violence created by selfish politicians in Bombay killing its metropolitan characteristics. Let these politicians look into cities in Europe, Americas, Japan, NZ, Australia where no communal violence as seen in Bombay has been reported in history. India is a great democratic nation, and the politicians must endeavour to uphold its dignity by abandoning selfish motivated political gains. Since majority of Indians are illiterate, politicians find it easy to exploit this weakness coupled with the fact that central govt. gives scant attention to the communal violence in Bombay.

apply the same rule to all states by Marathi manoos on 30 Jan 2010

Before separating Mumbai from Maharashtra to enable the UP and Biharis to take it over by establishing slums all over including public roads and maidans, kindly consider separating Bangalore from Karnataka, and Chennai from TN if you dare. And please don't forget M'trians have a right to protect their own house being taken over by outsiders using any means possible.If things continue, we might even take a leaf out of the Kashmiris' book and fuel a full blooded insurgency here.If separatism is what is required to protect Maharashtra, so be it.Remember, it was Maharashtrians under Shivaji who resisted the Mughals while the N.Indian small tinpot rulers were busy marrying off their daughters of the likes of Jodhabais to the Mughal rulers!Don't provoke us beyond a point, else we will show you a Kashmir right here complete with a full blown insurgency. The choice is yours.

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