Published 19:05 IST, February 20th 2020
Raj Thackeray-led MNS slams Waris Pathan on '15 cr' remark, threatens retaliatory violence
MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande issued a threat to Waris Pathan warning that a stone would be answered with a stone and a sword would be answered with a sword.
MNS on Thursday came down heavily on AIMIM leader Waris Pathan for his ‘15 crore’ threat. Issuing a threat of retaliation to Pathan, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande asserted that “a stone would be answered with a stone” and “a sword would be answered with a sword”. Incidentally, MNS chief Raj Thackeray gave a similar threat recently, warning the anti-CAA protesters that their “swords” would be answered with “swords”.
AIMIM leader's provocative remarks
Waris Pathan made the controversial remarks at a rally in Gulbarga, Karnataka in the presence of AIMIM MPs Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel on February 15. The former MLA from the Byculla constituency claimed that the government was scared of Muslim women leading the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Moreover, he asked the crowd to remember that 15 crore people (Muslims) had the strength to "overpower" 100 crore people.
“We have to grab Azadi. And, if you don’t get anything by asking, you have to snatch it, remember this. The time has come. We were told that you have pushed your mothers and sisters ahead and you are hiding in blankets. For now, only our lionesses have come out and you are shaking in your boots? Now imagine what will happen when we (men) come out too. Remember, we are 15 crore but can overpower 100 crore. Just remember this,” AIMIM leader Waris Pathan remarked.
'Swords will be answered with swords'
On February 9, Raj Thackeray addressed a massive MNS rally demanding the ouster of Bangladeshi and Pakistani infiltrators from the country. Defending the Centre on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, he termed the MNS protest march as an “answer” to the numerous nationwide protests. Later, he virtually threatened retaliatory violence.
Raj Thackeray stated, “Today’s march is an answer to those who have been organising protests against the CAA and the NRC. You will get a march as an answer to your march. But let me warn you, stones will be answered with stones and swords will be answered with swords."
Updated 19:05 IST, February 20th 2020