Raj Thackeray declares war on BMC for circular on SUS

Mumbai, December 1: It is now open war between Raj Thackeray and the municipal administration of Mumbai. The Brihanmumbai Corporation's ref...

Mumbai, December 1: It is now open war between Raj Thackeray and the municipal administration of Mumbai. The Brihanmumbai Corporation’s refusal to entertain a letter from the Shiv Udyog Sena (SUS), a private employment agency run by the Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s nephew, has now unleashed a tirade from Raj.

The president of the SUS has “threatened” to expose the alleged “nexus” between officials and their kith and kin. These latter, Raj alleges, are the ones who take the cream of the jobs on various vacancies in the BMC on recommendations from the high-placed officials.

Rather than answer difficult questions from reporters, Raj has chosen to follow in his illustrious uncle’s footsteps by thundering at the officials through the pages of the Sena mouthpiece Saamna.

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Raj’s latest reaction, in Monday’s edition of the paper, is in direct contrast to the position he had taken more than a month ago when his letter to the municipal authorities came to light.

Raj in that letter had requested — which, considering his position, was taken as a direction — to various departments of the BMC that his SUS be informed whenever vacancies arose. This kicked up a storm of protest as it was believed that Raj was doing exactly what was feared: create a parallel employment exchange and poach on government jobs. Immediately after the letter became public, Raj was defensive. He cried off responsibility for the letter saying that a clerk in the SUS office had sent out the letter meant for private entrepreneurs “by mistake” to government offices, but after the BMC circular asking managers not to entertain any outside agency for recruitments, he has taken a very menacing stance.

“It is our right to send recommendation letters,” Raj now says in the paper. But not that of the municipal authorities to stand up to extra-constitutional impositions. “However, the Municipal officials are not authorised to issue the kind of circular they have put out in reply to our letter,” he adds. And then there is a not-so-subtle threat : “Should I expose the recommendation letters written by various government officials for jobs to their own relatives?” he asks.

But at least as of now, his threats seem to have been lost on the BMC officials. Shridhar Joshi, the Additional Municipal Commissioner, who, along with two other colleagues, has received kudos for standing up to such intimidatory tactics appeared puzzled: “But the circular was issued more than 15 days ago,” he told The Indian Express, wondering why Raj had reacted only today (Newslines had reported the circular on Friday).