Raj Thackeray slams BJP for ‘supporting rapists’

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday joined many other Opposition leaders in slamming BJP in connection the incidents of rape and murder in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir and gangrape in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh. Raj in a strongly worded speech claimed that the BJP was a party that supported rapists. Raj, who was speaking to party workers at Mulund, said that the BJP was creating an atmosphere of poison in the country.

“I can’t understand what is happening in this country, this girl Asifa was such a small child, 8 years old, she did not know anything about religion, and she was assaulted and the BJP is publicly backing the rapists in the crime,“he said.

The MNS chief said that the BJP was trying to engineer riots to benefit them in the elections. “Why are you talking about Muslims in this country, if you have the courage deport all the Bangladeshi and Pakistani Muslims living in the country,” he said.

He also opposed the Rs 3 trillion Nanar refinery project that is proposed in Konkan region, saying that the party stood with the locals and wouldn’t allow the project to go ahead under any circumstance.

Sanjay Nirupam, Congress’ Mumbai unit chief, who led a candlelight march at Juhu beach here, attacked the Union government, stating that acting against these horrific crimes was “not the choice but the moral responsibility” of the government. Another protest, organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Bandra, saw actor Vicky Kaushal, documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, actor Kalki Koechlin, radio jockey Malishka Mendonsa and social activist Ruben Mascarenhas join hundreds of others to demand justice for the two victims.