Friday February 5, 2010, Mumbai (NDTV) - Mumbai is on edge as Rahul Gandhi arrives in the city for a three-hour visit. There's unprecedented security to ensure that Gandhi is not targeted by members of the Shiv Sena.
Gandhi was met at the airport by the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Ashok Chavan, and taken to his first venue, Bhaidas Hall in Vila Parle.
At Bhaidas Hall, Shiv Sainiks stood by with black flags, on the orders of Bal Thackeray, to protest against Gandhi's comment that "Mumbai is for all Indians." In Bihar earlier this week, Gandhi also said that it was commandos from Bihar and UP who fought for Mumbai during 26/11, and so migrant labour should not be targeted in the city.
Quick Response Teams, bomb disposal squads are all on stand-by at Bhaidas Hall. The city's Police Commissioner is present at the venue. The Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime, Rakesh Maria, is patrolling the area to ensure the Sena does not disrupt Gandhi's visit.
Shortly before Gandhi arrived at his first stop, where he will speak to college students, three Shiv Sainiks were taken into custody for trying to force their way into the venue.
The Mumbai Police had on Thursday sent notices to Shiv Sena leaders across Mumbai, warning them against indulging in any illegal activity on Friday.
Gandhi's visit has become a matter of prestige for the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra. Security is tight to ensure that the Sena does not disrupt Gandhi's tour.
But sources say the Congress' ally, the NCP, is not too happy about Rahul Gandhi's who-saved-Mumbai remark.
NCP state president Madhukar Pichad termed Rahul Gandhi's comments that north Indian NSG commandos saved Mumbai as "wrong".
"One must not forget that Tukaram Ombale, who sacrificed his life to ensure that Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab was caught alive, was a Marathi manoos. Therefore it is wrong to debate on which region the saviours of Mumbai came from," Pichad said.
Rahul Gandhi is on a countrywide tour on a meet-the-youth programme. Recently speaking to students in Patna, he took the Shiv Sena head-on.
"Actually I didn't respond to Uddhav but I said this about people from Bihar. Thackerayji was saying that people from Bihar and UP should be thrown out from Maharashtra. And when 26/11 happened, then NSG commandos from UP, Bihar, Himachal, Gujarat, Maharashtra helped. So then he didn't say this at that time," Rahul Gandhi had said.
On Wednesday, Thackeray had said at a press conference, "Rahul should not interfere in Marathi affairs...Rahul should stop all this or we won't allow him into Mumbai." But in an interview to NDTV's Barkha Dutt, Thackeray, on Thursday, clarified that for this trip, the Sena will not take any action against Gandhi, but he now stands warned for any future visits.
Uddhav Thackeray has been getting shriller in his keep-outsiders-away-from-Mumbai campaign. The new pitch is attributed to the success his estranged cousin and political rival, Raj Thackeray, has enjoyed in recent elections, mainly as a result of his Marathi Manoos campaign.
On Wednesday morning, Uddhav's father, Bal Thackeray said, of Gandhi, "The Prince Has Sprouted Wings." Thackeray Senior wrote an editorial in his party's mouthpiece, Saamna, in which he said, "Rahul Gandhi has insulted Maharashtra and its people." Thackeray goes on to say, "We agree with his statement that 'Mumbai belongs to all Indians'. As Shiv Sena chief, I have never said Mumbai is not a part of India. We have never encouraged separatism in Maharashtra or among its people. But we do not need him to tell us that this nation has to stay one and united."
Since last month, migrant politics in Mumbai has taken the national centre stage. The debate was triggered by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra who said that taxi drivers in Mumbai would need to prove fluency in Marathi to get their permits renewed. More than half the city's taxi drivers are from North India. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan quickly changed his stand after gigantic public criticism. Gujarati and Hindi-speaking drivers were eligible, he said. The Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray have said the U-turn is not acceptable to them.
The Sena has also attacked actor Shah Rukh Khan for stating that it's wrong that not a single Pakistani player will play in IPL3. Shah Rukh has refused to apologize for his statements.
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