Mumbai: In the face of violence unleashed by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, state Nationalist Congress Party president Madhukarrao Pichad exercised restraint and appealed to (NCP) party activists to remain calm on Wednesday.
In a statement, Pichad said the NCP was prepared to reply to all the issues raised by MNS president Raj Thackeray through the medim of politics.
“The NCP, while criticising other parties, has always remained within the limits of decency, especially when there are father figure personalities involved. We have not been taught to resort to abusive language by our leaders.
We are capable of and will tackle this through our political thoughts only,” Pichad said in his statement issued Wednesday afternoon.
Pichad urged party activists not to be vexed by the MNS criticism, and asked them to stay calm and not resort to violence.
Pichad pointed out that the people had always reposed faith in and supported NCP chief and union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in the implementation of his pragmatic development-oriented, secular policies.
“I appeal to all to maintain peace. It is not our culture to gain cheap publicity through wrong means,” he said.
Pichad’s appeal came in the wake of tensions which erupted between the NCP and MNS activists in Mumbai and other parts of the state Wednesday following a rally Tuesday addressed by Raj Thackeray in Ahmednagar.
Angry NCP activists pelted stones at vehicles in Raj Thackeray’s convoy and waved black flags at the MNS chief when his vehicle passed Ahmednagar Tuesday night.
In retaliation, activists of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) targeted Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) offices in south Mumbai and its suburbs, as well as in Ahmednagar, Nanded, Akola, Yavatmal, Parbhani, Thane. Private and public vehicles were damaged in the fracas. (IANS)
