The saffron spectrum stood divided over the “Mumbai for Maharashtrians” campaign with Shiv Sena taking on RSS over the Sangh's call to oppose discrimination on the basis of language and violence against “outsiders”, reported Times Of India. The Sena on Sunday said RSS must remember that priority must be accorded to Marathi speakers in Mumbai. The spat has put BJP, the Sena's alliance partner in Maharashtra, squarely in the cross-fire as it will find it difficult to go against the Sangh line - all the more so as it was RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat who called on his organisation's volunteers to protect north Indians from any bodily harm from the Sena's aggressive “Marathi manoos” credo. The war of words is likely to see BJP drawn in on the same side as the Sangh, pitting it against the Sena and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Faced with MNS making a successful grab for its Marathi constituency, the Sena has sought to get back into the Marathi sweepstakes. The RSS and BJP have a larger arena to play to in north India, not least in Bihar where elections are due later this year. BJP has observed an uncomfortable silence so far, avoiding a proactive stance on the “Mumbai for natives” campaign. The party realizes that there is a salience to MNS's sectional appeal, but BJP has also wooed migrants in the city. The BJP may now find it difficult to maintain ambiguity with RSS functionary Ram Madhav reiterating Bhagwat's comments on Sunday, saying, “The Sangh parivar has asked its volunteers in Maharashtra to try and prevent the spread of anti-north Indian and anti-Hindi feelings.” In response to RSS's remarks, Shiv Sena leader and former CM Manohar Joshi said.
