Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray and his political arch rival Raj Thackeray of MNS today symbolically came together for the cause of mill workers in the metropolis. The estranged cousins avoided coming face-to-face or sharing dias at a massive rally organised jointly by the Shiv Sena-BJP-RPI combine and MNS to demand free homes and other benefits for mill workers rendered jobless. Both leaders separately attended the event,which began from Byculla in central Mumbai and culminated at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai. Speaking at the rally,Uddhav warned of a Mumbai bandh on August 1 if the Congress-NCP Government failed to take a decision on mill workers' demands,including providing free houses to them. "Getting free houses is the birthright of mill workers," the Sena leader said. Raj,who joined the morcha shortly after Uddhav,did not attend the Azad Maidan meeting and returned soon after the rally reached Mumbai CST station. The MNS chief,who left Shiv Sena in 2005 following differences with Uddhav and later floated his own political outfit,disapproved of the Mumbai bandh call. "There was no need to hold Mumbaikars to ransom," he said. Sena leader Manohar Joshi,RPI (A) chief Ramdas Athawale and BJP leader Vinod Tawde took part in the event. Actor Nana Patekar,a prominent participant at the rally,said there would be no need for a Mumbai bandh if government accepted the mill workers' demands. " The Opposition rally resulted in massive traffic jam in South Mumbai even as the issue found support in the State Legislature,which is having its Monsoon Session. Several associations of textile industry workers,thousands of whom became jobless after prolonged strikes since early 1980s,organised the morcha. There were traffic snarls on the main roads leading to Azad Maidan. Both Houses of the Legislature saw repeated adjournments as opposition members persisted with their demand for a discussion on the issue and a favourable response from the government,which may may discuss the issue in the legislature tomorrow. Leader of Opposition in Assembly Eknath Khadse accused the ruling Congress-NCP combine of reneging on its promise of providing free homes to the mill workers. "You give free houses to slum-dwellers who come from other states,but charge mill workers Rs 12.5 lakh each for 225 sq mt tenements," the BJP member said. However,the Congress-NCP alliance seemed unperturbed by the Opposition's show of unity. NCP asked the Opposition leaders,without naming Raj and Sena leader Joshi (who are into realty business),if they would "utilise the mill land purchased by them for the welfare of the workers." Congress leader and Industry minister Narayan Rane accused the Opposition of organising the rally with an eye on Mumbai civic polls slated for early next year. "It will do them no good at the hustings." "It is the Sena-BJP leaders like Manohar Joshi and Mangal Prabhat Lodha who have purchased mill land from the owners. In the last 29 years,the saffron combine never remembered the mill workers," the Sena leader-turned-Congressman said. It is the Congress which made a provision for one-third reservation for the workers in the mill lands reserved for their housing,Rane said. "Whether to give it free or at a cost is yet to be decided. There are 16,000 homes and 1.5 lakh aspirants." Rane accused the Opposition parties of serving their own political interests ahead of the civic polls and not thinking about welfare of the mill workers. Meanwhile,talking to reporters outside the Maharashtra Legislature,Uddhav demanded that the government announce the decision on free houses for mill workers before August 1. "The government will try to thwart (the bandh) but we will defy them. In a democracy,we have the right to protest." Uddhav earlier inaugurated the refurbished office of his party in the Legislature in the presence of Sena MLAs Neelam Gorhe,Ramdas Kadam,Subhash Desai,and Athawale,among many others. Yuva Sena chief and Uddhav's son Aditya was also present on the occasion. Asked about the approval of Lokpal Bill by the Union Cabinet,Uddhav said,"We would give our view after the Bill comes before us (in Parliament)." The Sena leader asked his party MLAs and MLCs to aggressively take up people-related issues in both Houses. "Adjourning the House is not a big thing but the government should give answers to the questions raised by the Opposition. Being in or out of power is a different issue but serve the people to the best of your ability," Uddhav said.
