Unlawful assembly case: Amit Thackeray visits police station

Thane, Nov 23 (PTI) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Amit Thackeray on Sunday visited Nerul police station in Navi Mumbai in connection with a case registered against him on the charge of unlawful assembly after he forcibly ‘unveiled’ a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj recently.

Thackeray offered a floral tribute to the statue and walked to the police station, accompanied by MNS office-bearers and local workers.

Police had registered a case against Thackeray, son of MNS president Raj Thackeray, and nearly 70 others after a crowd allegedly forced open the cover of a Chhatrapati Shivaji statue recently.

"I am ready to face many more such cases", Amit Thackeray told a gathering on Sunday.

He added that several other statues across Maharashtra had been left awaiting formal ceremonies.

"Those statues will also be inaugurated. We will not allow our icons to remain covered," he said.

He said the MNS would launch a campaign to conserve historical forts in Maharashtra.

Amit Thackeray welcomed Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske's remarks opposing the official unveiling of the statue on Friday by forest minister Ganesh Naik.

The statue had remained covered for nearly five months despite being fully ready. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) had scheduled an official unveiling on Friday by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in the presence of Naik, MPs, MLAs, and MLCs.

However, Shinde didn't attend the official event. PTI COR NSK