Maharashtra government sent a preliminary report

The Maharashtra government has sent a preliminary report to the Home Ministry confirming that the man hailing from Uttar Pradesh was beaten to death on the train.

Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil has said his government is taking all possible steps to check the violence and will take stern action against the offenders.

Maharashtra government has announced a compensation of Rs two lakh for the family of Dharamdev Rai, a UP labourer beaten to death on Mumbai local train.

Twelve people have been detained for questioning in connection with the labourer’s killing. Railway police have begun probe into the case. They have said that some of the assailants were speaking in Marathi. Maharashtra DGP has sent a report to the Centre on the case.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has asked the Centre for a probe into the killing of Rai.

The post mortem report of the UP youth, who was beaten to death on Mumbai local train, shows he died of injuries to the liver.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil has spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy Chief Minister on migrant’s death.

“We are taking all possible steps to check the violence. Violence on train falls under Railway police and stern action is being taken against the offenders. It is very difficult to check stray incidents of violence. We are in touch with Centre on Maharashtra violence,” said Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister, Maharashtra.

“We’ve registered a case of murder and are conducting an investigation. We take full responsibility of the safety of UP, Bihar migrants in Mumbai, ” said RR Patil, Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra told NDTV.

Earlier, Rai, a young man from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh died after he was severely beaten on a suburban train in Badlapur in Maharashtra. He was on his way home to Gorakhpur for Diwali.

Three of his friends who were travelling with him were also beaten. They rushed Dharamdev to a hospital where he was declared dead.

“If the government here wants, please help us move out of Maharashtra today itself. We don’t want to live here. How will you then earn a living? I will do something at home. Nobody dies of hunger in UP. I have passed Intermediate, couldn’t get a job there, so came here for a private job. I earn Rs 5,000 a month and if I don’t get a new job, I will do farming,” said Brahmadev Rai, brother of Dharmadev Rai.

One of the victim’s friends has claimed they were attacked by a group of Marathi speaking youth who abused them for taking up jobs in Mumbai.

“We were four of us. We took the train from Khopoli. Some people boarded the train on the way and started asking us questions, then they started abusing and beating us. They said why do you come to Mumbai for jobs? We kept saying we are going home for Diwali and we apologised but they paid little heed to it. My friend fell unconscious. As the train slowed down they jumped off. Police asked us to get off at Badlapur and we were brought to Dubey Hospital. But my friend was declared brought dead,” said Shivkumar Verma, one of the victims who was beaten up.

On its part, the BJP has blamed the Congress for propping up Raj Thackeray whose campaign against north Indians have led to the lynching.

 

Fears grip Raj Thackeray

MNS Chief Raj Thackeray held a press conference to speak out his mind on the controversies surrounding his party and North Indians in Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray alleged that nobody raised the issue when Biharis were killed in Assam. But some politicians from Bihar “with vested interest” are targeting him, when Biharis were attacked in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Raj made it clear that he won’t tolerate migrants not knowing Marathi, but decided against politicising “Chhath Puja” or any other festivals. “MNS won’t stop Chhath (Chhat) Puja. There is no question of violence on Chhath (Chhat) Puja”, said Raj Thackeray. People can celebrate all festivals including Chhath Puja without any fear, said Raj. Raj asked why no probe was ordered when Biharis were killed in Assam.

“Bihar politicians have ganged up on this issue and they are targeting me. Ironically, Maharashtra politicians are united on this issue, which is creating confusion in the state. Nobody wants violence, but it is being imposed. I won’t issue any statement, which may lead to violence”, said Raj Thackeray.

Under attack for his campaign against north Indians, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday softened his stand on Chhat puja, saying that he was not opposed to the festival being celebrated in Maharashtra but warned against it being used as a show of political strength.

“I have never opposed Chhat Puja but only spoke against political ‘tamasha’ (stunt) associated with it. People from Bihar who live here can perform the religious rituals according to the customs. My party has never opposed it,” he told media persons in Mumbai.

The MNS chief, whose detention under National Security Act has been demanded by some Union ministers in the wake of attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra, warned that he would not tolerate disregard of the Marathi speaking people in the state.

The Chhat festival will be celebrated on November 4.

Thackeray also asked his supporters to exercise restraint and accused the media of distorting his views and spreading falsehood.

Justifying the killing of a youth who had hijacked a bus in Mumbai, he said the police action was ‘proper’ as no one knew from which state the youth came from.

“What if he had shot some commuters, then you people would have taken the police to task,” he said.

Thackeray also downplayed the killing of a youth in a suburban train during a brawl with a group of youngsters.

“Even the Railway police are saying that there has been no involvement of any political party,” he said.

Besides, he recalled that in an incident sometime back, four Marathi youths where thrown out on tracks by a group of people from other states. “But no one said a word about the incident,” he said.

Thackeray criticised the Maharashtra government and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for withdrawing his security and termed the move as ‘political vendetta’.

“I had not asked for security in the first place. But, now it has been withdrawn which is clearly political vendetta. The government keeps changing and even I will have a chance tomorrow,” he said.

“There is a state-level committee, which decides on security according to threat perception and not on the number of cases against the person. After the Babri mosque demolition in 1992, security of political leaders against whom cases had been registered was also increased,” he said.

Thackeray also ridiculed demands to book him under the NSA.

“When Lalu (Prasad) was the chief minister of Bihar, there were 1,200 murders. But, there was no demand to book him under NSA. When Biharis were killed in Assam, there was no uproar,” he said.

“A Goan minister opposed starting of Goa-Bihar railway by saying that the state did not want more beggars. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit also spoke against people of Bihar and UP. But, only when Raj Thackeray speaks, there is a nationwide uproar and Prime Minister has to intervene.”

Lashing out at Deshmukh, Thackeray said he had no expectations from him.

“What can you expect from people whose political survival is at the mercy of Delhi,” he asked.

The MNS chief also said that he would not allow anybody to harm ‘Marathi identity’.

“Political rivals who do not see eye-to-eye on several issues come together. But, it is also very unfortunate that 48 MPs from Maharashtra are mute spectators,” he said, referring to the delegation of Bihar politicians meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.