The Union Cabinet meeting yesterday witnessed some heated discussions over Maharahstra Navnirman Sena and its chief Raj Thackeray. Many ministers demanded tough action against MNS chief Raj Thackeray for vitiating the peaceful atmosphere in the state and even asked the Centre to arrest him under NSA (National Security Act). They also demanded a judicial probe into the killing of two youths from Bihar and UP in Maharashtra.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh expressed deep concerns over the situation in Maharashtra and revealed that he had already written a strong-worded letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to take tough action against Raj Thackeray.

The UPA seemed to be divided on Maharashtra, as senior ministers from the state Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel and AK Antulay skipped the meeting. The UPA allies were not convinced at Home Minister Shivraj Patil’s statement that Centre has already sent three advisories to the Maharashtra government.