SP says Mumbai is everyone's, MNS doesn't agree

MNS-SP CLASH OVER POSTER: SP is accuding Mumbai police of favouring the MNS.

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Mumbai: The Marathi manoos versus outsiders debate in Mumbai has flared up once again over rival posters. Now the Samajwadi Party (SP) is accuding Mumbai police of favouring the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

SP workers protested in Mumbai on Saturday when the police took down a hoarding — which was in Hindi — at Kalanagar in Bandra.

The hoarding said, "Mumbai belongs to everyone, it isn't anyone's ancestral property".

The hoardind was an obvious retort to an MNS hoarding that accused party leader Abu Azmi of having terrorist links because he hails from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.

In response, the SP's billboard carried a picture of Dr BR Ambedkar, bringing up the constitutional right of citizens to settle and work anywhere in India.

The Mumbai police and the MNS say the SP poster could cause unrest. However, the feels the Mumbai police is being unfair SP.

"The Police is siding with the MNS and is treating us unfairly," said party worker, SP, Sabeer Sheikh.

"We informed the police that the poster is objectionable. Our leader has taught us to give a fitting reply to such actions," said leader, MNS, Akhil Chitre.

On September 20 MNS asked shopkeepers in the city to change the signboards of their establishments in Marathi by September 21.

A group of local MNS activists moved along the main streets and contacted the shopkeepers, giving them an "ultimatum" on the Marathi signboard issue.