Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has planned a rally on Thursday morning at around 11 am from Metro theatre to Churchgate.

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MNS has planned a rally on Thursday morning from Metro theatre to Churchgate to protest against the poor quality of railway infrastructure in Mumbai, days after a stampede at the Elphinstone Road station killed 23 people and injured 38 others. Over 50,000 supporters are expected to attend. It will be interesting to see what effect Thackeray's rally on Thursday has on Mumbai, especially because MNS' political influence has been dwindling in the city.

According to Free Press Journal , Thackeray is expected to protest politely with folded hands, unlike what MNS is known for. Tight police security has been arranged at Churchgate station, where the morcha will take place. Since the MNS chief had appealed to his followers to join him in the rally, in a Facebook post, his supporters are likely to show up in huge numbers.

According to Loksatta, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande questioned the democracy in which one could not get permission to conduct rally. "Even the British would grant permission to hold protest, but this government won't," he was quoted as saying in a tweet by Loksatta.

At MNS rally, hoarding shows cartoon where Raj Thackeray is cracking a whip on kneeling Narendra Modi, Devendra Fadnavis and Amit Shah

"Problems of railway commuters in Mumbai have persisted for decades, and there are still no answers," says Raj Thackeray, MNS chief, lambasting the government for their apathy.

"When people in Mumbai leave their homes in the morning, it's not even certain whether they will return home or not. This is unacceptable," MNS chief Raj Thackeray said while addressing a rally.

"I was the first person to oppose the Bullet Train. It doesn't serve the needs of thousands of Mumbai's commuters, and is just a gift for a handful of Gujaratis," MNS chief Raj Thackeray has said

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has given the Railways 15 days to evict all hawkers from foot-over bridges across Mumbai's suburban rail network. "If the Central and Western Railways don't clear all foot-over bridges of hawkers, we will do it ourselves," Raj Thackeray said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has wound up his speech against the Railways by targeting the central government on a variety of topics.

"The central government is wasting its time with 'trivial issues' like demonetisation, GST, Swacch Bharat, yoga, etc. In doing so, it's ignoring real issues. But if it continues doing this, I won't remain peaceful," MNS chief Raj Thackeray said, winding up his speech.

"Problems of railway commuters in Mumbai have persisted for decades, and there are still no answers," says Raj Thackeray, MNS chief, lambasting the government for their apathy.

"When people in Mumbai leave their homes in the morning, it's not even certain whether they will return home or not. This is unacceptable," MNS chief Raj Thackeray said while addressing a rally.

"I was the first person to oppose the Bullet Train. It doesn't serve the needs of thousands of Mumbai's commuters, and is just a gift for a handful of Gujaratis," MNS chief Raj Thackeray has said

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has given the Railways 15 days to evict all hawkers from foot-over bridges across Mumbai's suburban rail network. "If the Central and Western Railways don't clear all foot-over bridges of hawkers, we will do it ourselves," Raj Thackeray said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has wound up his speech against the Railways by targeting the central government on a variety of topics.

"The central government is wasting its time with 'trivial issues' like demonetisation, GST, Swacch Bharat, yoga, etc. In doing so, it's ignoring real issues. But if it continues doing this, I won't remain peaceful," MNS chief Raj Thackeray said, winding up his speech.

Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has planned a rally on Thursday morning at around 11 am from Metro theatre to Churchgate to protest against the poor railway infrastructure in Mumbai.

Thackeray has said that he will also participate in this rally.

This rally was planned after the horrible stampede at Elphinstone Road station in the city, which killed 23 people and injured 38 others.

A day after the stampede, Thackeray had said that stampedes will continue to occur in Mumbai till hordes of migrants keep pouring into the city.

He had also warned that "not a single brick will be allowed to be placed for the bullet train in Mumbai" until the infrastructure of local railways was made better.

The MNS leader, who has in the past stoked controversies with his anti-migrant rhetoric, had told reporters at his residence Krishna Kunj in Dadar, "There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions."

Saying that he travelled in Mumbai suburban trains for two years while studying arts at the Sir JJ College, Thackeray had said, "What you call the famed spirit of Mumbai which overcomes such tragedies is actually hopelessness in face of such calamities."

Thackeray had said his party leader Bala Nandgaonkar had written to authorities for building a new bridge at the stampede spot but no action was taken on his suggestion and instead Nandgaonkar was told to approach the MMRDA.

The Kakodkar committee had proposed an expenditure of Rs one lakh crore to improve the railway infrastructure but nobody acted on it, he had claimed.

Instead, the bullet train project, costing the same amount, is being implemented, he had said.

"Does one need bullet train or improvement of basic rail infrastructure?" he had said.

Thackeray had also targeted BJP MP Kirit Somaiya for his silence on the "crumbling" rail services.

"When Congress was in power, this man used to go about measuring the height of platforms. Where is he now when such tragedies are happening in the BJP-led regime," the MNS chief had alleged.

He had claimed he did not visit the stampede spot or the hospital as "politicians are there at such spots only for television cameras".

"They (railway) say the stampede happened due to rains. It is not the first time that it rained in Mumbai," he had said.

"A list of issues related to Mumbai locals will be given to railway officials on October 5 with a deadline. If things don't get better, we will see," he had added.

He had said a deadline would also be given to throw out illegal hawkers from station bridges and if it is not complied with then the party would act on its own.

With inputs from agencies