Police warns Raj Thackeray over multiplex issue

Days after he asked local multiplex owners to screen Marathi movies at prime time or face the music, the Mumbai police has served a notice to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, warning him against giving any provocative or inflammatory speeches.

"A notice under Section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code was served to Raj Thackeray, warning him against giving any speeches that incite violence," said S R Unavane, senior inspector at Shivaji Park police station.

The notice refrains Thackeray from "committing a cognizable offence in future", Unavane added.

The move comes five days after Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal had hinted on action against Thackeray by saying that not only the vandals who attacked multiplexes but also those provoking them would face the music.

Thackeray had on August 10 warned the multiplex owners who were not screening Marathi movies at prime time.

"Prepare a list of multiplexes that are not showing Marathi films," Raj had instructed his partymen at the third anniversary of the MNS Cine Workers Association.

Subsequently, MNS party workers on August 14 ransacked multiplexes across the city for not screening Marathi films.

The cinemas that bore the brunt of these attacks included Nakshatra at Dadar, Starcity at Matunga and Cinemax at Kandivali. At Cinemax, hundreds of MNS party workers vandalised the cafeteria and beat up the multiplex manager.

Following the violent protests, city police had arrested over 20 MNS activists, who were later released on bail. Raj Thackeray had also received such a notice earlier for his inflammatory speech targeting North Indians in 2008.