Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has attacked industrialist Mukesh Ambani over his recent statement that Mumbai belongs to all Indians.
"Marathi people have as much right over Mumbai as Mukesh Ambani has over Reliance companies," Thackeray said in an article published in Sena mouthpiece Saamana.
"Mumbai is Maharashtra's capital and will remain its capital. Don't meddle in the path of Mumbai and Marathi manoos," he said.
Thackeray asked, "When 'Pandit Mukesh Ambani' says Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi belong to all Indians, why has he left out cities likes Ahmedabad, Jamnagar and Rajkot?"
Reliance Industries' chairman Mukesh Ambani had recently said the controversy over making knowledge of Marathi mandatory for issuing taxi permits in Mumbai was 'unfortunate', and the metropolis belongs to all Indians.
"We are all Indians first. Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi belong to all Indians. That is the reality," he had said during a panel discussion at the London School of Economics.
In November, the Sena chief had asked cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar not to "dabble" in politics.
"He should stick to the cricket wicket, and not meddle with the pitch of politics. The right to decide who comes to Mumbai is our right, not his," the Sena chief had said.
Thackeray had criticised Tendulkar for his 'Mumbai-for-all' remark, saying there was no need for the cricket icon to take a "cheeky single" and "hurt" the Marathi psyche by moving to the pitch of politics.
"By making these remarks, you have got run-out on the pitch of Marathi psyche. You were not even born when the 'Marathi Manoos' got Mumbai and 105 Marathi people sacrificed their lives to get Mumbai," he said.
Thackeray had expressed displeasure that Sachin "left the crease" and moved to the pitch of politics by making these remarks.
