Rejecting Shiv Sena contention of 'Mumbai for Maharashtrians' as "pernicious thesis", the Centre on Monday said the financial capital belonged to all Indians who are free to live and work there.
On Sena threats to Australian and Pakistani players' participation in the IPL cricket event in Mumbai, Home Minister P Chidambaram asserted that he would "guarantee them full security."
We reject the thesis of the Shiv Sena. Mumbai belongs to all of India and all Indians are free to live and work in Mumbai," he said answering a question at a press conference here.
He said the Government of Maharashtra was competent to handle the situation and the Centre would extend help if sought. "If the Government of Maharashtra seeks our advice, we will advise them but I am sure they are competent to manage the situation," Chidambaram said.
"But, as a matter of policy, we reject the theses of the Shiv Sena and the MNS. These are pernicious theses and they have to be rejected," he said.
Shiv Sena had yesterday objected to the RSS view that Mumbai is for all Indians and told it that the western metropolis belongs to Marathi people only. Asked about safety of Australian and Pakistani players' participating in IPL, Chidambaram said, "Let Australian players come to India. Let Pakistani players come to India. Let them play in Mumbai and I will guarantee them full security".
Sena had said its activists would not allow Australian players to play IPL matches in Maharashtra to protest the attacks on Indians in that country.
The party has been opposing sporting ties with Pakistan contending that the neighbouring country has been supporting anti-India terrorists.
Amid growing strident campaign against North Indians by Shiv Sena and MNS, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Monday in Bangalore warned that government would not "sit quiet" and allow them to take law into their own hands.
"We will not sit quiet. We will show by our action," Chavan told reporters here when asked what his government proposed to do to deal with attacks against North Indians in the 'Mumbai for Marathis' campaign by Sena and Raj Thackeray-led MNS.
Chavan said if the MNS and Sena took law into their own hands "we will take stringent action against them".
Accusing both the parties of carrying out a campaign against North Indians for political gains, he said, "We will not allow these things to happen."
Disapproving of the Sena-MNS campaign, Chavan said under the Constitution "anyone can live anywhere in India".
On the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute, Chavan said his state would abide by the Supreme Court verdict on it.
He said Maharashtra has placed its views on the issue before the Apex Court.
Karnataka has also submitted its opinion to the court, he said, adding, "There is nothing much to say at this stage."
Maharashtra has filed a petition in the Supreme Court claiming that certain areas on its boundary with Karnataka belong to it. However, Karnataka has contested this, saying the boundary row has already been resolved as per the recommendations of the Mahajan Commission.
Chavan wanted Karnataka to protect the interests of Marathi speaking people in Belgaum, which Maharashtra claims belongs to it. PTI
