31 Facts About Raj Thackeray

Raj Shrikant Thackeray is an Indian politician and the founding chairperson of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, a regional political party.

Raj Thackeray's parents were Shrikant Thackeray and Kunda Thackeray.

Raj Thackeray is a graduate of Mumbai's Sir JJ Institute of Applied Art.

Raj Thackeray started his political career by launching the student wing of Shiv Sena called Bharatiya Vidyarthi Sena.

Raj Thackeray came to prominence during the campaign for 1990 Maharashtra assembly elections.

Years after being sidelined by Bal Thackeray's other leaders working for him, Raj Thackeray resigned from Shiv Sena on 27 November 2005 and announced his intention to start a new political party.

On 9 March 2006 in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray founded Maharashtra Navnirman Sena which is running as a governing party in Maharashtra.

In February 2008, Raj Thackeray led a violent movement against migrants from the North Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in Maharashtra and more so in its commercial capital, Mumbai.

At a rally in Shivaji Park, Raj Thackeray warned that if the dadagiri of these people in Mumbai and Maharashtra continued, he would be compelled to make them leave the metropolis.

Raj Thackeray was arrested along with a Samajwadi Party leader, Abu Azmi, but was released on paying a penalty of 15,000.

In July 2008, Raj Thackeray issued a public warning that shops in Mumbai needed to have Marathi signboards in addition to the existing English signboards.

Raj Thackeray warned that after one month, MNS workers would start blackening non-Marathi signboards.

Raj Thackeray commented that she had no business alluding to all the people of Maharashtra in that statement.

Raj Thackeray threatened to ban all Bachchan films unless Jaya apologised in a public forum for hurting Maharashtrians.

Raj Thackeray said that he did it on his own and that there was no political pressure on him.

On 2 October 2009, MNS workers disrupted the screening of the film Wake Up Sid on its release in a few Pune and Mumbai theatres, after Raj Thackeray objected to references in the movie to "Bombay" rather than "Mumbai".

Raj Thackeray demanded that all telecom companies operating in Maharashtra start providing the service in Marathi and set a deadline of 27 February 2010, after which his party MNS would launch an agitation.

In December 2011, Raj Thackeray meeting a group from MES advised them that they should revisit their stand of merging Belgaum with Maharashtra in the interest of Marathi speaking people of Belgaum.

Raj Thackeray asked the MES leaders to first identify the real issue as to whether Marathis in Belgaum are being targeted for espousing the cause of Marathi language or because they were supporting the merger of Belgaum with Maharashtra.

Raj Thackeray has opposed migration into Maharashtra from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Raj Thackeray reproached North Indian leaders for politicising Chhath Puja, a festival popular in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand calling it a "drama" and a "show of numerical strength".

Raj Thackeray stated that the Chhath Puja was a political gimmick by some parties to attract the north Indian vote.

Raj Thackeray's statements were criticised from political leaders, especially those from the North Indian states.

Raj Thackeray accused migrants of swamping Maharashtra, India's most industrialised state, in search of jobs.

In 2008, expressing his stance on new migrants settling in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray said, "New immigrants to the city should be denied entry into the city, while those already staying here should show respect to the Marathi 'manoos' and his culture".

On use of violence, Raj Thackeray says that violence is a part of all agitations in Indian politics, and there are several cases of much more violence carried out by other parties and organisations.

Raj Thackeray initially praised former Chief Minister of Gujarat and incumbent Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi for his governance, and the development of Gujarat during his tenure as chief minister.

Raj Thackeray had expressed support for Modi for the post of Prime Minister for the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

Raj Thackeray-led MNS criticised the centre's move to award the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, to Adnan Sami, claiming that Sami was not an original Indian citizen.

Raj Thackeray is married to Sharmila Wagh, daughter of Marathi cinema photographer, producer-director Mohan Wagh.

Raj Thackeray's children attended the Christian School Bombay Scottish School, Mahim.