Domicile certificates must be mandatory: Raj Thackeray

With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections just a few months away, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has started making nativist statements. Seeking jobs for the ‘sons of the soil’ in state industries, he has demanded that domicile certificates should be made compulsory in the state.

“Only Maharashtrians should benefit from state resources like water, electricity and land. The outsiders have taken advantage of the free housing scheme. In colleges too, migrants are present in large numbers. To prevent this, domicile certificates should be compulsory in the state on the lines of Jharkhand,” Mr Thackeray said.

The MNS chief on Wednesday called on CM Devendra Fadnavis at his residence. Speaking to reporters later, he said instead of thinking about vote banks, only the interests of the Marathi people should be safeguarded.

“The government gives concessions to IT companies and gives land at a concession; but it fails to provide jobs to the local youth. If they avail of all the concessions and do not give jobs to the local Marathi youths, what is the use The knowledge of Marathi should be mandatory when giving licences to autorickshaw and taxi drivers,” he said.

During the meeting with the CM, the MNS chief demanded that the state government release the funds worth Rs 190 crore, which is pending, for the MNS-ruled Nashik municipal corporation. The chief minister has also assured he would provide aid for Nashik, which recently witnessed flooding in the Godavari, he said.