Sources in the Government, however, said the alliance had its own calculations to keep in mind before considering action against Raj. One source said that the MNS chief’s brand of politics may eventually cut into the Shiv Sena’s vote base, particularly in the Mumbai, Nashik, Thane and Pune belt and the Konkan region.

As a result, there was no official word from the Government about Raj’s speech, and all that Mumbai police said was that it was studying the transcript and consulting legal experts before considering action. That there are divergent views within the Congress-NCP alliance was apparent when NCP MLC and general secretary Gurunath Kulkarni said “the wrong stance taken by the state Government had led to crowds turning up at the Shivaji Park rally”.

“The action against MNS activists led to general curiosity in the minds of the youth, which helped the turnout,” he added. “There is freedom of speech. The points in his speech can be replied to.”

Raj’s fresh outburst has also apparently ruffled the Shiv Sena which, like the last time around, sought to play up its own record in championing the cause of Maharashtrians. “The bond between Maharashtrians and the Shiv Sena is unbreakable,” party chief Bal Thackeray said in a recorded message at a career fair organised by his party on Sunday. “There are some people who are creating a ruckus in the name of Marathi. But if you look at the history of the Sena, when some communities came to Maharashtra and took over our jobs, then the Shiv Sena stood firmly behind Maharashtrians. If not, Maharashtrians would not have been visible (in Mumbai).”

... contd.