Raj Thackeray

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Raj Thackeray
Raj Thackeray

Born	June 14, 1968 (1968-06-14) (age 39) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Political party	Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
Residence	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Religion	Hindu

Raj Thackeray (Marathi: राज ठाकरे) (born June 14, 1968) is the Founder and President of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (Maharashtra Rennaissance Party). Maharashtra is a state in western India

1 Career
2 Controversies
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Career

Thackeray started his political career with the nativist Shiv Sena party of Maharashtra. He is the nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

Once seen as the future leader of Shiv Sena after his uncle Bal Thackeray, Raj Thackeray parted ways with Shiv Sena as he believed that Shiv Sena had strayed from its original mission i.e. to further the interest of the marathi speaking people. Raj Thackaray resigned from the party which is currently led by his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray and Shiv Sena's executive president.

Raj Thackeray founded Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in March 2006 to further the cause of marathi people. He campaigned extensively across the state and took his message to the people.

[edit] Controversies

Main article: 2008 attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra‎

In February 2008, Raj Thackarey's speech on the issue of uncontrolled migration into Mumbai from India created a well publicized controversy. Maharashtra's economy leads other states in India and its capital Mumbai has become a magnet to migrant population from the north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Overzealous supporters clashed with activists of the Samajwadi Party, a regional party from Uttar Pradesh leading to minor damage to public property. Thackeray also criticized noted film actor turned politician Amitabh Bachchan, a native of Uttar Pradesh, for taking taking sides in the migrant issue. Mr. Bachchan came into fame and fortune in Mumbai's film industry a.k.a Bollywood. ^[1]^[2]

Some political pundits attribute Thackarey's support for migrant issue an election gimmick and an attempt at gaining publicity for 2009 elections in the state. Others call it a strategy to differentiate w.r.t Shiv Sena, which is increasingly wooing north Indian votes. ^[3]

Thackeray, along with Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, was arrested by the Mumbai Police on February 13, 2008 under section Section 135 A of the Indian Penal Code.^[4] He was granted bail on the same day.^[5] This is the first time in Indian history that this section of the Indian Penal Code has been invoked to charge a citizen of India.