Mumbai:

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray’s visit to Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city on Monday triggered a clash between workers and local leaders of his party and those of the rival BJP.

Police registered two separate cases against 60 people in connection with the clash between Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP workers and local leaders during Thackeray’s visit to the central Maharashtra city, around 370km from Mumbai, an official said.

Workers of the ruling BJP staged a demonstration against the former state minister in the afternoon, inviting a counter agitation from Shiv Sena (UBT) activists, he said.

Slogans were raised from both sides and the situation became tense when supporters of the rival parties clashed with each other, the official said.

Police personnel deployed at the spot to maintain law and order used batons to disperse the agitators, he said.

Two separate cases were registered in connection with the clash at the Cidco Police Station and 32 BJP workers and 28 Shiv Sena (UBT) activists were booked, the official added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday condemned Uttar Pradesh government’s directive for food shops to display their owners’ names saying that its an attempt by the BJP to create distance between people.

“This is an attempt by the BJP to create distance between people, I only ask that no matter whose nameplate it is, if he is a member of BJP, then is it appropriate or not?” Aaditya Thackeray said.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Sukanta Majumdar supported the Uttar Pradesh government’s directive for food shops to display their owners’ names, saying that a similar notifications were issued during the Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav governments.

He added that it’s a routine exercise and not specific to the Kanwar Yatra.

He claimed that the Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies on the issue.

“Opposition is misleading people and spreading lies. A similar kind of notification was issued during Mulayam Singh Yadav’s government, and Akhilesh Yadav’s government also issued such notifications… it’s a routine exercise and not specific to the Kanwar Yatra. The law requires that names be registered, not identifying anyone by religion… Hindus who eat non-veg go to Muslim shops. In West Bengal, we go to many such shops, which are run by Muslims. The opposition is trying to divide the people and Asaduddin Owaisi is playing the role of Jinnah,” Mr Majumdar told ANI.

Notably, the Uttar Pradesh government has mandated all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names. Furthermore, the Haridwar Police Administration issued an order on Friday for restaurant owners to display names along the Kanwar Yatra route.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the directive issued by the BJP state governments in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to all eateries to display their owners’ names along the entire stretch of the Kanwar Yatra route .

CPI (M) said in a statement that the decisions taken by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments were clearly designed to sharpen communal polarisation and foster tensions among religious communities.

“This move is blatantly unconstitutional and strikes at the foundation of the fundamental right of equality for all citizens,” CPI (M) said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)