Mumbai, October 19
Activists of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) today attacked examination centres across Mumbai where the Railway Board was conducting examinations. Candidates from northern India who were appearing for the examinations were attacked and their answer sheets torn up by the MNS men. A number of candidates received injuries and some of them have been admitted to hospital.

In at least one centre, the examination was cancelled after the MNS men chased away examiners and forced the candidates to flee.

According to MNS leader Shishir Shinde, the party has decided to disrupt the examinations because not enough local candidates were selected to appear. “A large number of candidates were coming from Bihar to appear for the examinations while there was no publicity for the tests in local newspapers,” Shinde said.

In all, the exams were to be conducted at more than 80 centres across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan surrounding areas. According to the police, the exams were generally peaceful except for areas dominated by the MNS. At the Kasturba Nagar municipal school at Borivli in north Mumbai, the examinations were called off after MNS men damaged furniture and chased away examiners and students, the police said.

Trouble has been brewing from late Saturday night when MNS activists were tipped off about a large number of outstation people coming to the city for the examinations. Candidates who were taking the exams for the Classes III and IV categories of jobs were staying put at the railway station before leaving for the examination centres in the morning. MNS activists caught several candidates camping at the Thane railway station and beat them up on Saturday night, the police said.

Though security was beefed up in many places, the MNS men prevailed over the authorities. At Vidya Bhavan High School in Dombivali, the MNS men descended on the candidates who were more than half way through the examinations and tore up their answer sheets. Some students, who refused to leave the examination centre, were badly beaten up and some of them suffered injuries requiring hospitalisation, sources said.

At ICL School at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, MNS activists checked the hall tickets of candidates to determine who were from northern India before beating them up. Similar attacks were reported from some other schools as well.

Meanwhile, the police has arrested several MNS activists across Mumbai, Thane and other places.

Railway officials say they may conduct a fresh examination at centres where answer sheets were torn. According to a Central Railway spokesperson, at least 13 centres in Thane, Navi Mumbai and Dombivli had been attacked. More centres have been attacked under the jurisdiction of the Western Railway as well.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (United) today demanded immediate arrest of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and his nephew Raj Thackeray, president of the MNS, for their alleged instigation of their activists to manhandle students from Bihar.
Railway minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today vehemently protested against repeated attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra and described MNS leader Raj Thackeray as a ‘mental’ case who should be arrested for fomenting violence amongst Maharashtrians. The RJD leader also demanded an immediate ban on the MNS. Lalu added that the exam held by the Railways in Mumbai would not be cancelled. He said his party would raise this issue in Parliament tomorrow.
Naresh Kadyan of OIPA INDIA & Chairman, PFA Haryana demanding the restoration of the human rights of the north Indians in Maharashtra along with strict action against the offenders, further he started a online petitions - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/beware-raj-thackery---be-indian & preparing for demonstration in Delhi against these attacks.