‘I raised issues more important than ethnicity,so Sena trying to frame me’

He accused the Sena of trying to cast him and his followers in the image of “hooligans” because they have been highlighting the BMC’s failures in water supply,cleaning of nullahs,malaria control and pothole repair. He said he would campaign till the 2012 BMC polls to convince the saffron alliance is ruled out of power.

“Civic issues are more important than Marathi-versus-non-Marathi. It is time we threw emotional issues out of state politics. If one does not stay alive,what is the use of these issues?” Nitesh said,adding the percentage of Maharashtrians in Mumbai is now just 24.

“Hindus and Muslims,North Indians and Maharashtrians are living together. They want water,good roads and healthcare,” he said. MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s decision to raise the issue of water shortage and Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray’s visit to dams supplying water to Mumbai,he said,show how seriously other parties are taking issues raised by Swabhimaan.

The reason the affluent class largely avoids voting,he said,is the politics is not issue-based and such voters are not bothered about the emotional issues being raised. “People are not concerned whether Nitesh Rane fired a bullet or not. They are concerned whether they get water and healthcare,” said Nitesh,accusing the Sena of using Shaikh as a pawn.

“We are trying to make the people vote on civic issues in 2012 rather than on caste and religion,” said Nitesh,denying plans to contest personally.