Our leaders don't give hate speeches, claim Shiv Sena, MNS

Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Monday claimed their leaders had never given hate speech and they only highlighted key issues of the day.

"Shiv Sena never indulged in hate and inflammatory speeches. It is a patriotic party," Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut said.

Maintaining that it was Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi who had delivered inflammatory speeches, Raut rued that no action had been taken against the Andhra Pradesh legislator or his party till now.

"Shiv Sena always spoke and attacked the enemies of this country," said Raut, whose party has been in the past accused of indulging in minority bashing.

MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said, "We spoke on the real issues confronting the state."

Without naming any person or community, he asked "Who is responsible for the present situation in the country. From where does the criminals and terrorists come?"

"We never gave hate speeches," he claimed.

Two days ago, MNS chief Raj Thackeray courted a fresh controversy by stating that "Bihari" migrants were responsible for the gang-rape of the 23-year-old paramedical student in Delhi last month.

Last week, the Supreme Court sought a reply from the Election Commission on a plea seeking derecognition of Shiv Sena and MNS Sena as political parties for the alleged hatespeeches delivered by their top leaders recently.