PTI photo

MUMBAI: Extending his support to the Citizenship Amendment Act, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday warned of giving a ‘befitting eye-for-aneye reply’ to rallies being held against the new law. Along with Pakistani and Bangladeshi infiltrators, Thackeray added illegal Nigerians to his ‘hit list’. The MNS chief, however, opposed the proposed National Register of Citizens.

On Sunday afternoon, the MNS workers—many in saffron t-shirts, waving the party flags and shouting slogans like ‘Bharatmata Ki Jai’, ‘Jai Shri Ram’, and ‘Vande Mataram’ —took out a huge march from Marine Drive near Hindu Gymkhana which culminated at Azad Maidan , where Thackeray demanded the eviction of illegal Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nigerian infiltrators from the country. Before joining the march at Marine Drive, Thackeray sought blessings at Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi, while party leaders Amey Khopkar, Sandeep Deshpande, Santosh Dhuri performed an aarti at the nearby Ram Mandir.

Deputy commissioner of police Pranay Ashok said around 20,000 activists participated in the march. He added that 3,000-4,000 police officials were deployed to control the crowd and CCTV and drone cameras were used to manage the crowd. According to political experts, the rally was a show of strength and to make people aware of the party’s new saffron flag bearing the royal seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, that was launched on January 23.

Addressing the rally, Thackeray said: “Bangladeshi and Pakistani infiltrators must be deported from India. Now, Nigerians have also been added to the list...Pakistani and Bangladeshi infiltrators’ pockets have been mushrooming everywhere.”



In Video: Pro-NRC rally: Will drive 'infiltrators' out of India, says MNS chief