Raj Thackeray: Difference between revisions

| image              = Raj at MNS Koli Festival.jpg  

| birth_place        = Mumbai [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]

| residence          = [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]

'''Raj Shrikant Thackeray''' (born '''Swararaj Shrikant Thackeray'''; 14 June 1968) is an Indian politician and chairperson of the [[Maharashtra Navnirman Sena]] (MNS), a regional political party. He is the nephew of [[Bal Thackeray]]; and a cousin of [[Shiv Sena]] chief and the 19th and current [[Chief Minister of Maharashtra]] [[Uddhav Thackeray]].

Thackeray started his political career by launching the student wing of Shiv sena called Akhil bharatiya Vidyarthi sena. He came to prominence during the campaign for 1990 Maharashtra assembly elections. During the 1990s, Raj believed himself to the heir of his uncle, Balasaheb. However, Balasaheb showed strong preference for his own son, Uddhav.

===Maharashtra Navanirman Sena===

Years after being sidelined, the disillusioned Thackeray resigned from Shiv sena on 27th November 2005 and announced his intention to start a new political party. On 9 March 2006 in Mumbai, Thackeray founded "Maharashtra Navnirman Sena" party.<ref>{{cite book|title=Business Standard Political Profiles of Cabals and Kings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qT7QvviGoJsC&pg=PA23|year=2009|publisher=Business Standard Books|isbn=978-81-905735-4-2|pages=89–90}}</ref> At the time of the party's foundation, Thackeray stated that he does not want to have hostilities with his uncle who "was, is and always will be(his) mentor".{{citation needed|date=November 2013}}

At a rally in Shivaji Park, Raj warned that if the ''dadagiri'' (intimidating dominance) of these people (North Indians) in Mumbai and Maharashtra continued, he would be compelled to make them leave the metropolis.<ref name="dadagiri">{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080048753|title=Raj Thackeray dares Maharashtra govt on north Indians' stand|date=3 May 2008|publisher=[[NDTV]]|access-date=6 January 2009|quote=Addressing a crowded public meeting at Shivaji Park in central Bombay, the place where his uncle and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray addresses his annual Dussehra rallies, Raj warned if the dadagiri of north Indians in Bombay and Maharashtra continued, he would be compelled to make them leave the metropolis.|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327145243/http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080048753|archive-date=27 March 2009}}</ref> Raj was arrested along with a [[Samajwadi Party]] leader, Abu Azmi, but was released on paying a penalty of {{INRConvert|15|k}}.His party along Shiv Sena banned [[Cricket in Australia|Australian cricketers]] participating in [[2010 Indian Premier League|IPL 3]] from playing in Mumbai as a protest against the attack on Indian students in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|author=NDTV India/ New Delhi&nbsp;22 July 2005 |url=http://cricket.ndtv.com/storypage.aspx?id=spoen20100125797 |title=Shiv Sena targets Australians in IPL |publisher=NDTV India |date=14 January 2010|access-date=4 August 2010}}</ref>

In October 2008, [[Jet Airways]] laid off 800 temporary workers and announced layoffs of an additional 1100 workers. The laid-off workers included Marathi as well as North-Indians. Thackeray was asked to intervene. Following this, Raj Thackeray declared that most of these workers had paid security deposits to the company, and he would meet Jet management to plead their case. Unless Jet Airways cancelled the layoffs, his party would not allow any Jet Airways plane to take off from any airport in Maharashtra.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy4qrypiG5k&NR=1 |title=Raj Thakre Helps Jet Airways Staff |publisher=YouTube |date=25 May 2008 |access-date=28 July 2010}}</ref> Within 12 hours of Raj Thackeray's declaration, Jet chairman [[Naresh Goyal]] reversed the layoffs and reinstated the sacked employees. He said that he did it on his own and that there was no political pressure on him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNBiGrqiwno&NR=1 |title=Jet airways Employees vow Raj Thakre for jobs |publisher=YouTube |access-date=28 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?621425 |title=Jet barred us from meeting Raj Thackeray: Crew |publisher=news.outlookindia.com |access-date=28 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718090441/http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?621425 |archive-date=18 July 2011 }}</ref>

In Dec 2011, Raj Thackeray meeting a group from MES (Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti) advised them that they should revisit their stand of merging [[Belgaum]] with Maharashtra in the interest of Marathi speaking people of Belgaum. In a major departure from the earlier held stand of traditional right wing groups of Maharashtra, Raj Thackeray pointed out that a practical approach rather than an emotional one is the need of the hour. However, he advocated that if the [[Supreme Court of India]] itself gives a decision in favour of Belgaum's merger, he would welcome it but the local situation in Belgaum should not be vitiated for the sake of it. He asked the MES leaders to first identify the real issue as to whether Marathis in Belgaum are being targeted for espousing the cause of [[Marathi language]] or because they were supporting the merger of Belgaum with Maharashtra. Lamenting that strikes and bandhs only add to the misery of the Marathi-speaking community in Belgaum, Thackeray said: "If the Karnataka government is ready to respect the Marathi people, their culture and language, then there is nothing wrong in Belgaum being there."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_let-belgaum-be-with-karnataka-raj-thackeray_1627869 |title=Let Belgaum be with Karnataka: Raj Thackeray&nbsp;– Mumbai&nbsp;– DNA |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=20 December 2011 |access-date=22 September 2012}}</ref> His comments were strongly criticised by his cousin [[Uddhav Thackeray|Uddhav]] as a cruel joke on the Marathi manoos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_uddhav-thackeray-runs-to-president-urges-her-to-make-belgaum-union-territory_1628288 |title=Uddhav Thackeray runs to President, urges her to make Belgaum Union territory&nbsp;– Mumbai&nbsp;– DNA |publisher=Dnaindia.com |date=21 December 2011 |access-date=22 September 2012}}</ref>

Thackeray is married to Sharmila Wagh, daughter of Marathi cinema photographer, producer-director Mohan Wagh. They have a son, Amit Thackeray and a daughter, Urvashi Thackeray.despite their father claiming to be the champion of Marathi language, his children attended [[Bombay Scottish School, Mahim]], a renowned Mumbai [[English-medium education|English medium]] school founded by Scottish Christian missionaries in 1847.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mumbai Scottish just doesn't sound nice |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/speak-up/report-mumbai-scottish-just-doesn-t-sound-nice-1163996 |access-date=29 November 2020 |work=DNA |issue=12 May 2008 |publisher=Diligent Media Corporation, an Essel Group company |date=2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Now, miscreants target Thackeray kids' school |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Redevelopment-fever-hits-Lokhandwala/articleshow/3030737.cms |access-date=24 September 2020 |work=Times of India |issue=12 May 2008 |publisher=Times of India |date=2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=From wife Sharmila to daughter-in-law Mitali Bourde, know all about Raj Thackeray's family tree |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/raj-thackeray-family-know-about-his-wife-sharmila-son-amit-thackeray-daughter-in-law-mitali-bourde-and-other-members/473764 |access-date=18 August 2020 |work=Times Now |date=22 August 2019 |language=en}}</ref>