Sena made Nirupam big, says Raj Thackeray

Reacting to Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam's dare to the Thackerays to move around without security, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray blamed Shiv Sena for "making Nirupam big".

A war of words is currently on between the Congress MP and Shiv Sena following Nirupam's remark that north Indians can bring Mumbai's life to a standstill.

Nirupam, earlier in the day, dared the "three Thackerays" to step out without security.

He had meant Shiv Sena executive president Uddahv Thackeray, his son Aditya, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj.

In his reaction, Raj Thackeray said he would certainly deal with Nirupam. "I will burst crackers after Diwali is over," he said.

But the MNS chief, who left Shiv Sena a few years ago, did not lose the opportunity to remind that Nirupam was once a `Shiv Sainik'.

"Long back, I had been telling them (Shiv Sena) not to make Nirupam big. Why the Dopaharka Samna (Sena's Hindi mouthpiece) was started? To win the Hindi votes. Shiv Sena made him big, now he is attacking them," Raj said, pointing out that it was Sena which made Nirupam an MP the first time.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut termed Nirupam as "cockroach".

"We will crush him. Diwali is on, wait for two more days. There are thousands of Hindi-speakers in Mumbai and nobody had ever raised voice. But leaders like Nirupam are inciting them," Raut told mediapersons.