Mumbai : Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray made it clear on Monday that his opinions about Narendra Modi have not changed. He (Modi) should have changed his behaviour after becoming Prime Minister of the country.
“Considering the level of politics and state of the country, I feel Modi is the only ray of hope for the country. So, he should now think for the whole country and not just one state,” Thackeray said at an interaction organised by the Mantralaya and Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh.
He also made it clear that the MNS won’t be contesting parliamentary elections. “We contested last parliamentary elections under pressure from various segments. But, we won’t contest parliamentary elections henceforth,” Raj said.
Thackeray also reiterated his stand on the national and regional parties. “I’ve always said that the national parties should engage in national and international issues and should leave the states for regional parties. National parties can’t take clear stand on regional or inter-state issues. This worsens the problem,” Thackeray told journalists.
He also said that the boundary row between Maharashtra and Karnataka is an issue which could probably never be resolved.
“So many years have passed and politicians from the state have never been serious about finding a solution to the 55-year old dispute. The issue has always been used for politics. Strikes and bandhs do not serve any purpose,” Raj said while answering a query about long pending demand that Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka be included in Maharashtra.
When asked about the demand of changing name of Belgaum to Belagavi, he said, “It is the issue of Karnataka state”.
He recalled that when Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti members had met him a few years ago, he had said that he was prepared, if required, to meet the then Karnataka chief minister to discuss the issue and demand that there should not be injustice on Marathi-speaking people living in Belgaum and nearby areas.
