New Delhi: Mumbai was on the edge on Wednesday as the police prepared to arrest Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for spreading hatred and promoting enmity between communities.
Tension was palpable across the city and there was heavy presence of police and paramilitary personnel in all major localities, especially the areas with high concentration of North Indian population.
The police have detained dozens of MNS workers since Tuesday night in anticipation of trouble in the event of Raj Thackeray's arrest. The MNS state secretary, Vasant Gite, was also arrested in Nashik on Wednesday morning.
State Director General of Police PS Pasricha said police have made 1,800 preventive arrests all over Maharashtra.
He, however, said no fresh incident of violence was reported from anywhere in the state on Wednesday.
"Everything is under control. We are capable of protecting Maharashtra and Mumbai. Mumbaikars don’t need to fear for anything. Everything will be done according to the law," Pasricha said.
MNS activists trawled the streets as Raj Thackeray's arrest became imminent.
The state authorities have deployed Central paramilitary forces and Rapid Action Force to maintain law and order in the city.
The state authorities had started deploying Central paramilitary forces from Tuesday evening in Mumbai and other key cities across the state in anticipation violence.
A few companies of Rapid Action Force and four companies of Central Reserve Police Force have also been deployed in Mumbai.
CRPF personnel have been deployed in all key towns across the state. There were incidents of stone pelting and assault in different parts of the state - including Nashik, Pune, Jalna, Beed, Aurangabad and Latur towns - on Tuesday in protest against the police action. MNS activists also targeted public property including state transport buses in most of the cases.
Police sources say the state Home department has already given its nod for Raj Thackeray's arrest.
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A Mumbai police team, comprising 16 top police officers and over 200 personnel, arrived at Raj Thackeray's residence at around 1230 hours on Wednesday even as police and paramilitary forces maintained tight security around the city in anticipation of a possible backlash by MNS workers.
Mumbai Police Commissioner and Joint Police Commissioner had a long meeting with Deputy Chief Minister RR Patil, who also the state Home Minister, on Wednesday morning and reviewed the situation.
Earlier in the day, Patil cut short his visit to Vidarbha and reached Mumbai.
The Union Home Ministry is also maintaining strong vigil on the situation.
Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal said six more companies Central paramilitary forces are being rushed to the state.
"Six more companies of CRPF are being sent to Mumbai. Security needs to be tightened in areas where North Indians stay. We will ensure that no one is forced to leave Maharashtra," Jaiswal said.
On Monday, Mumbai Police registered complaints invoking non-bailable sections of the law against Raj Thackeray and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi under Section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on the basis of places of birth, residence etc) 153D (assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 117 (abetting the commission of any offence by the public) of the IPC.
The MNS tirade against outsiders, specifically north Indians settled in the city, has vitiated the atmosphere in Maharashtra.
MNS and Samajwadi Party activists have clashed in several parts of the state.
Sporadic acts of violence targeting north Indians have continued unabated for the last 10 days.
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