mumbai

Updated: Apr 16, 2018 01:09 IST

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for communalising the Kathua rape case and condemned it for supporting the rapists.

He also hit out at lawyers in Kathua who chanted ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ while marching in support of the accused.

Reiterating his accusation that the BJP will try to engineer riots in the country ahead of 2019 elections for political gain, Thackeray slammed the central government for its failure on all the fronts. “The eight-year-old innocent child was not even aware of her religion and had to undergo such a pain. Here we have a party which is protecting the rapists,” said Thackeray.

He said that the rape accused should be punished instantly, on the lines of Saudi Arabia. “If Narendra Modi has guts, he should evict Bangladeshi Muslims from India. He should remove Pakistanis from Indian soil. The danger is from them and not from the Kathua child,” he said.

Thackeray, who had distributed autorickshaws to 100 women in Mulund, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of wasting his massive mandate.

“Modi talks of teaching Pakistan a lesson, but he made a surprise visit during Nawaz Sharif’s (former Pakistan Prime Minister) birthday and cut a cake with him,” he added.

He also announced his opposition to the refinery project proposed in Nanar, Ratnagiri.