New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday showed no signs of backing down in his face-off with the Shiv Sena over the issue of North Indians being targeted by Sena workers in Maharashtra.
Rahul Gandhi defended his comments that the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos who saved lives during 26/11 terror attacks came from North India.
"I am not interested in what Bal Thackeray or Raj Thackeray has to say. My point is that all of India belongs to Indians," Rahul said while addressing a press conference in Patna.
"I did not say this (the comments on NSG commandos) on Thackeray's comments but for people of Bihar. He had said that they should be thrown out of Mumbai. But he didn't say this during 26/11," said Rahul.
"In Mumbai, men in the NSG were from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. At that time they were silent and did not say that those from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh should be taken out. India has to move forward and all have to be taken forward. India belongs to every Indian. Every part of India belongs to every Indian. All Indians have every right to go and work anywhere in the country," he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also upped the ante against the Shiv Sena with former party president Rajnath Singh criticising Sena's policy of targeting North Indians.
Backing senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Johsi's statements on the issue Rajnath Singh said, "Dividing the country on the basis of language and region is not acceptable. This is an attempt to disrupt the unity of the country. Any Indian has the right to go anywhere within the country."
The BJP on Monday had said that Shiv Sena's Mumbai-only-for-Maharashtrians agenda was unconstitutional.
But BJP Spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said Rahul should focus more on the caste divide in Bihar and not than target Shiv Sena.
"The BJP would have been much happy if Rahul Gandhi would have said 'how come the list of office bearers published in state of Bihar by the Congress party carried the name by the caste of the leaders which unfortunately included Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar," said Rudy
"It would have been desirable if Rahul Gandhi in Bihar, instead of taking on BJP-Shiv Sena, would have taken a nationalist stand of the BJP which the party has been always speaking about," added Rudy.
Reacting to Rahul's comments Shiv Sena's legal cell chief, Rahul Narvekar, said that the comments displayed political immaturity.
"Rahul's comments exhibit political immaturity. It is very sad when armed forces are dragged into ideological differences of poltical parties. Rahul should introspect and see how many Maharashtrian boys are in the SPG squad giving him protection," said Narvekar.
"As for opportunities in Mumbai local domicile Maharashtrians should get priority over others," added Narvekar.
The comment on 26/11 made on Monday by Rahul in Bodhgaya had raised the Sena's hackles with the party Executive President Uddhav Thackeray calling the Congress General Secretary's comment an insult to the memory of 26/11 martyrs from Maharashtra.
Uddhav said Rahul had forgotten the 26/11 Maharashtrian heroes - Hemant Karkare, Tukaram Ombale, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte.
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