For Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, it was the perfect opportunity to indulge in a game of one-upmanship.When 16 Grant Medical College students, who were arrested here yesterday for rioting at the J J Hospital campus, were produced before the Mazgaon Sessions Court this morning, supporters of both leaders gathered outside, waiting to grab the initiative.Both Sena factions had decided to pay the bail for the five Maharashtrian students involved in Saturday night’s fracas so they could take credit for fighting on behalf of the Marathi Manus.When the court agreed to a Rs 5,000 bail for each student, Uddhav’s supporters moved in swiftly to pay up the sum, leaving Raj’s supporters — Bunty Mashilkar, Sanjay Jamdar, Arvind Gawde and around 250 Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena members — dumfounded.“The very fact that the Marathi-speaking students had approached Rajsaheb for help indicates that they had confidence in him and wanted him to resolve the issue,” Gawde said.“But these people (Uddhav’s supporters) deliberately came here and paid the money to take credit.” Gawde said Raj would take up the matter after the students’ examinations ended next week.“It’s our issue and they are trying to take it over to undermine us, but we know the students would ultimately come to us,” he said. “The Sena may have won a round in this karkooni (clerical) battle, but we are not disheartened.”The jubilant Uddhav camp was quick to point out that the Sena has always worked for the cause of the Marathi Manus. Meanwhile, the inquiry committee set up by J J Hospital to look into the incident, allegedly sparked by an argument between Abhishek Singh (24) and Rajkumar Gaikwad (19) over who would fill a bucket with hot water at R M Bhatt Hostel on Saturday morning, is unlikely to submit its results soon.The argument escalated into a fight later that night, with around 50 Maharashtrian students armed with stumps and iron rods allegedly assaulting four non-Maharashtrians.On Sunday, Singh and his friends allegedly assaulted Gaikwad.
