Miscreants use MNS tag to fleece north Indians

Pune: With the name of the political outfit Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) instilling a sense of fear and alarm in the minds of migrant communities in the city, especially the north Indians, there is now an additional problem. A certain class of people have started using the tirade for their own benefit in the form of arm-twisting tactics, to lighten the migrants of their property and money.

“These people are using Raj Thackeray’s name and are holding us to ransom. We have been manhandelled and they have been threatening to take over our homes,” says a labourer working on a construction site. These goons have no political affiliation to any party.

Warje industrial area, for instance, has become a prime spot for such incidences since it has a huge number of migrant labour working on construction sites. The police department is aware of this new development. “Most of the people involved in these incidents are local thugs and troublemakers. They have past grievances against these workers and are using the volatile political situation for settling personal scores. There is a financial angle in many a case,” states an official attached with the Kothrud police station.

Most of such brawls occur on Saturday which is the weekly payment day for labourers and they take place amidst the chanting of ‘Jai Maharashtra’. Sangita Tiwari president of the Maharashtra Uttar Bharatiya Ekta Manch, says, “Till now, we have received many complaints of harassment but we have found no activist of any political party involved in the matter. Landlords and goons are taking advantage of the situation and we need to take a serious look at the matter.” A few city-based travel companies have started a strategy of their own, Tiwari charged.

In some of the fringe areas, goons hired by the travel companies create commotion in the colonies of the labourers. This panic leads to an immediate exodus and the travel agents then charge almost double the price for tickets. “A Pune-Nagpur ticket which costs Rs 300 was issued at Rs 700,” Tiwari informed. Meanwhile, representatives of the north Indian community have visited certain MNS functionaries in the city to apprise them of this harassment. Bala Shedge, MNS corporator, has assured them that a statement will be issued shortly clarifying that the MNS has nothing to do with this matter.