‘MNS following beaten path of Shiv Sena’

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is following the beaten path of Shiv Sena by resorting inflammatory campaign against north Indians, CPM’s mouthpiece ‘People’s Democracy’ says.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is following the beaten path of Shiv Sena in launching an ‘inflammatory campaign’ against north Indians, CPM’s mouthpiece ‘People’s Democracy’ says in its next edition.

“This (the attack on North Indians) is reminiscent of the Shiv Sena’s initial claim to political space in the late 1960s when it raised its slogan of ‘sons of the soil’ and launched the vituperative campaign against South Indians,” the editorial reads.

The campaign by MNS chief Raj Thackeray comes at a time when “the Shiv Sena has since graduated beyond fomenting regional chauvinism to embrace a larger divisive issue in Indian polity and society, that is Hindutva,” it says.

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The article suggests that the expression of “regional chauvinism” by MNS was merely aimed at political gains.

“It is not merely unfortunate but downright destructive that cynical politicians and political parties are resorting to such shortcuts in order to gain electoral support,” it adds.

CPM calls on the people for “marginalising” the “divisive forces if the unity and integrity of the country is to be preserved.” Further cautioning against the “divisive forces”, the article titled ‘Chauvinism Bares Its Ugly Face’ in the February 10 edition says, any attempt to impose uniformity upon this (country’s) diversity can only lead to the unleashing of centripetal forces that would lead to the disintegration of our country.