NEW DELHI: Suggesting that the Maharashtra government was not keen on taking strong action against MNS chief Raj Thackeray, the NDA on Thursday described as "stage-managed show" the arrest and bail for him in cases of violence against north Indians in the state.
"Congress is Raj Thackeray's event management company and it is trying to project Raj's arrest as an event instead of making any serious effort to check the violent campaign of MNS against north Indians," BJP MP Shahnawaz Hussain said here.
Unhappy that Raj got bail a day after he was arrested, the BJP leader said, "There is match-fixing between Raj and the Maharashtra government. The state government deliberately books him under small sections and he gets bail."
Rajya Sabha MP and JD-U national general secretary Shivananda Tiwari also attacked Congress for "promoting" the MNS chief and comparing him with slain Punjab separatist leader Bhindarwale.
"Congress party has a mastery in creating 'bhasmasurs' (self destructing demons). Earlier they created Bhindranwale in Punjab, which killed a Congress Prime Minister. Even this Raj Thackeray is ultimately going to damage Congress," Tiwari claimed.
He also alleged that Maharashtra government arrested Raj to carry out a "formality" and as mild charges were pressed, he got bail soon.
Blaming the state government for the reactionary violence in Bihar by the agitated youths, Tiwari said, "This reaction is out of frustration and is totally spontaneous."
Rejecting charges that JD-U government in Bihar is fanning violence against railways there due to political rivalry, he said "People are very angry at the treatment meted out to the state youths in Maharashtra."
