Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Sena has put up banners in Mumbai stating “Uttar Bharatiya Batenge To Pitenge” (If north Indians are divided, they will beat us up). The banners are put up in view of BJP’s support to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Amit Thackeray, son of Raj Thackeray. Amit has filed his nomination from the Mahim Assembly constituency.
Sunil Shukla, the president of the Uttar Bhartiya Vikas Sena (UBVS), said that the north Indians will not support BJP candidates in the state if the saffron party supports the MNS candidate. In 2008, the Raj Thackeray-led MNS had started a violent campaign against North Indians alleging that there was a nexus in the railway recruitment, which denied opportunities to the youths from Maharashtra and benefited aspirants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. BJP leader and MLC Prasad Lad said that Raj Thackeray had given the unconditional support to the BJP in the Lok Sabha election.
“Raj Thackeray helped Mahayuti whenever needed. His son is like our son. Therefore, we will campaign for Amit Thackeray,” said Mr.
Lad. Mr. Shukla claimed that the north Indians have been harassed, abused and beaten up in the state by the MNS from 2008 to 2022.
“If anyone supports the party which had beaten up the north Indians, we will oppose them,” he said. The UBVS is a political outfit, registered with Election Commission of India. It has fielded its candidates Babanna Kushalkar from the Andheri (west) seat and Chandan Chaturvedi from the Goregao.