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Tough guy Thackeray: From the days of Raj
Published on Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 22:32, Updated on Wed, Feb 13, 2008 at 22:51 in 
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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has been hitting headlines frequently since last week. But who exactly is Raj and how does he hope to politically benefit from the arrest? CNN-IBN looks for answers.
An arts graduate from Mumbai's JJ School of Art, Raj is the son of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's younger brother Shrikant Thackeray. But Raj chose early to follow the footsteps of his charismatic uncle.
Like Bal Thackeray he became a cartoonist but it was politics that most fascinated Raj.
He would accompany his uncle to all his rallies and public functions. Soon he began to address sainiks – displaying the same mannerism and aggression that his uncle was known for.
Raj was credited with the rise of the Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Sena, and widely seen as heir apparent to Bal Thackeray's throne. But in 1996, his political ambitions received a setback when his name came up in the murder case of Ramesh Kini, a resident of Dadar, in July 1996.
Though the CBI cleared him of any involvement, Raj's image was sullied. For the next few years he maintained a low profile. His ambitions suffered another jolt in 2003 when he was passed over for the post of executive president of the Shiv Sena, which went to his cousin Uddhav.
In what many saw as an attempt to outdo Uddhav, Raj led his student wing supporters in attacking outstation students taking a railway exam in Mumbai. But Raj's role in the party continued to decline.
In December 2005, Raj finally split from the Shiva Sena. Three months later he launched his own party – the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
But Raj's new party failed to make a dent in the Sena's votebank. In the Mumbai municipal polls in 2007, Raj's MNS could manage to win just seven out 227 wards.
In January 2008, when two women were publicly molested in Juhu, Raj finally found his voice again. He came out in support of the Maharashtrian men who were among the accused, and said that outsiders were to blame for the attack.
Using the momentum from the controversy, Raj started his attack on north Indians. He ordered his followers to be party to north Indian festivals. He incited the masses to ask why actor Amitabh Bachchan was more concerned about Uttar Pradesh than Mumbai.
With these issues taking centerstage in Mumbai and less than two years after his party was launched, Raj Thackeray is making news again, this time for different reasons.
| WHO IS RAJ? |
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URBANEYE
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boss Uk is accepting strict norms for Immigration to save the employement of their People, so apply ur rule there,
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Hi All,
We understand the entire fustration you all are going as i am. The question is
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ya y not
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Hey, Raj. Your concept is good. What you are saying is right for the maharashtrian. But we want more from
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Ritu,
Many maharashtrians are living in Bangalore . Bangalore is also becoming crowded , traffic jam everything . But local people
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