Click to play videoMumbai: Raj Thackeray and his party the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are being criticised for Sunday's attack against North Indian candidates for the railway recruitment examination in Maharashtra.
Raj has also challenged the government to arrest him.
"I dare the government to arrest me," an unrepentant Raj said in a brazen and open challenge to the state government.
His challenge came just a day after his party workers went on a rampage beating up young North Indian candidates who were appearing for the railway recruitment examination.
Maharashtra government's explanation for its inability to control the violence against the examinees was not at all convincing.
"If railway authorities had informed us beforehand, then we could have made security arrangements," Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.
Raj defiance and attacks on North Indians by his supporters elicited many angry responses.
Union Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad said, "Raj Thackeray is a mental case."
The matter also reached Parliament and many Members of Parliament staged a walkout demanding that action be taken against Raj.
"RR Patil and Vilasrao Deshmukh's government has proved to be inefficient," Amar Singh, Samajwadi Party general Secretary, said.
After mounting pressure from all quarters, Deshmukh finally admitted to the lapse.
"We need to inquire if there was any lapse on part of administration in providing security for the railway exams," he said.
It is not the first time the MNS has unleashed a reign of terror in the state. Earlier this year MNS activists went about attacking North Indian taxi drivers in Mumbai.
They also went about terrorising city shop keepers forcing them to change their sign boards to include names in Marathi in large fonts.
As General Elections approach, the biggest challenge for Deshmukh will be to decide between rule of law or political mileage for an opponent.
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