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Would you like to be addressed as an Indian or a Maharashtrain or a Punjabi or a Gujrati? I would personally take pride in calling myself an Indian and would not like it if my rights and privileges were marginalized due to my place of birth.

But Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray seems to have very austere views about regionalism. He made some inflammatory remarks against north Indians that has led to incidents of violence in the state. He was arrested on the wee hours of Tuesday morning for his alleged involvement in the attack on north Indian candidates appearing for a railway recruitment examination.

“We will not let it happen again. I accept this is very bad for us. The state government’s image is tarnished. We will not allow this to happen again,” said Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

But hours after being arrested, he was granted bail on a surety of Rs 15,000 on Wednesday.

Raj Thackeray was also arrested eight months ago, and was let off on bail with a warning that there should be no repeat of violence. But the last warning didn’t seem to work. Everyone seems to be asking the same question – Will the warning work this time?

“Arrest me and be ready to bear the consequences…. You will have to regret,” this was the outcome of Raj Thackrey in a ceremony at Bahadursheikh Naka in Chiplun, on last night. After his arrest his supporters has started making noise too and police has to use some force to let them in control.

Tags: Arrest, Bihar, Gujrat, Maharashtra, MNS, Mumbai, Punjab, Raj, Raj Thackrey, Vilasrao Deshmukh

The Maharashtra government has planned to build its very own Statue of Liberty of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji, off the coast of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea. The statue of the Maratha warrior king will mirror (Statue of Liberty) another global icon, the statue of liberty in New York.

“We are also planning a light and sound show and a museum so that people get to know Shivaji, the king and the administrator,” said Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister, Maharashtra.

The statue will be 93 meters tall- the same height that of Statue of Liberty in New York. But the supposed statue of 17th century Maratha king at 309 feet and cast in bronze, rising 1.8 km from the Arabian Sea, has already created lots of controversies. It is a sudden proposal woken up to four years after being in power by the congress led Maharashtra government. Questions are being raised on the proposal as elections are coming next year.

“What’s the need? It will be a problem whether aesthetically, environmentally or economically,” said Nayana Kathpalia, convener, Citispace.

Not what the chief minister and his deputy were thinking during a site inspection, an island measuring 30,000 square meters and a ferry service to be built along the city’s coast, a coastline that also happens to host one of Mumbai’s most coveted promenades. It is among the country’s most well-known landmarks.

“I think this is nothing but an attempt by the government to garner some votes keeping in mind next year’s elections,” said R N Somani, Walkers Association of Marine Drive.

The project is expected to cost nearly five million dollars.

Tags: Maharashtra, Mumbai, New York, Statue of Liberty, Vilasrao Deshmukh