Let's make Modi govt realise its mistakes: Raj Thackeray's MNS joins Bharat Bandh

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Raj Thackeray, has extended its support to the Bharat Bandh, called by the Congress party on Monday, September 10, over continuous rise in petrol and diesel prices.

Releasing a statement in this regard on Sunday, MNS chief Raj Thackeray said that the common man is in anguish as the prices of petrol and diesel have sky rocketed. “The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena extends its full support to the bandh and will actively participate in it,” said Thackeray.

Thackeray further said that though the fuel prices are linked to the global markets, the central and state governments have imposed heavy taxes on this. “The country’s policies cannot be based on the whims and fancies of one person,” said the MNS chief, taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi without naming him.

The statement by Raj Thackeray also made reference to the issue of demonetisation. It read, “The demonetisation step was a huge blunder and its repercussions plummeted our economy into a precarious state. To cover this up, heavy taxes are being imposed on fuel, as an effort to bring back the economic conditions to normalcy. Why is the common man being made to pay a price for the miscalculation on part of the Central government?”

“The ever increasing fuel prices is affecting all aspects of our lives. This very fact, needs to be taken into account by the common man and this is the reason, I am appealing to all the citizens of Maharashtra, to put aside their political and ideological differences and support this bandh. In the same spirit, I appeal to my Maharashtra sainiks, in its full force, to be a part of this bandh as well,” said Thackeray, adding that the “government sitting in Delhi must be made to realise its mistakes” with its mistake.

Several political parties such as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have declared that they would join the Bharat Bandh called by the Congress party. The Trinamool Congress has, however, refused to be a part of the bandh.