Mumbai: Keeping up with the Thackeray clan’s penchant for taking the plunge into politics, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackerays son Amit Thackeray (25) has finally taken the plunge into active politics. Taking up the issue his father raked up recently, the Thackeray scion on Saturday led a delegation of Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandals from Girgaum to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) denying permissions to erect pandals.
He already has a stiff competition from his cousin brother Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
In a statement issued here yesterday, the MNS stated that following the meeting of Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals from Girgaum, party president Raj Thackeray had directed the mandals to boldly put up their pandals and hold Ganesh Utsav. It added that for the last few days the BMC administration has been exerting pressure on these mandals to remove their pandals. Taking the cue from his father, Amit Raj Thackeray yesterday led a delegation of Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandals from Girgaum to Varsha, the official residence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The young Thackeray scion argued that many of the Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandals are now celebrating their golden, silver and platinum jubilees this year and knowing the issues very well yet the BMC administration is needlessly harassing them while giving them permissions. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the delegation that they can celebrate Ganesh Utsav in a grand fashion and that they will not have to face any legal issues. The Chief Minister later spoke to BMC municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta and gave directions for issuing of permissions to the Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav Mandals.
This is the first of its kind political activity that the MNS chiefs son Amit Raj Thackeray has taken up. Although he had made his presence felt on social media platforms like Facebook, where he launched his page during the 2017 BMC elections, it is now that he has officially taken a political stand on any issue. In contrast his cousin Yuva Sena president and Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray has already taken the plunge into active politics and has been leading agitations, delegations and taking part in important party meetings and meeting top political leaders across the political spectrum.