Mumbai: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray today sprang to the defence of Amitabh Bachchan, numbing the campaign by his nephew and splinter Sena leader Raj Thackeray against the star and North Indians as Mumbai limped back to normalcy after three days of violence.

With the Centre pressing the Maharashtra Government to take immediate steps against those indulging in violence, the city police appealed to Raj to restrain the cadre of his party - Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) - from further fuelling the campaign against North Indians.

"The allegations are nothing but stupidity," Bal Thackeray said in a statement, taking on Raj for his personal attack against Bachchan that the star always gave priority to Uttar Pradesh over Maharashtra triggering a war of words between the youth leader and Samajwadi that led to violence since Sunday. "Amitabh is Amitabh..he should ignore such allegations," said Thackeray, who turned 82 last month.

"Amitabh is a family friend. The friendship goes back 40 years during which it has not even diminished. Bachchan is a global superstar and is respected all over the world. He has always expressed his gratitude to Mumbai and the people for giving him fame," Thackeray said in comments exposing the divide in the Thackeray family.

There were no major incidents barring two autorickshaws being torched in Oshiwara and an attack on a textile shop in Matunga. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V) D M Phadtare said he met Raj to also inquire whether security cover around his residence was enough.

As a fallout of the violence, two Inspectors were suspended while an inquiry instituted against an Assistant Commissioner of Police for not taking any action against MNS workers indulging in violence in Dadar on Sunday.

Amar Singh alleges Cong-NCP collusion with Raj Thackeray

Ranchi: Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today alleged the Congress and the NCP of collusion with Raj Thackeray and sought to remind the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president that Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan had made immense contribution to Maharashtra.

"Though the UPA government is at the Centre and the Congress/NCP regime ruling Maharashtra, no action was taken so far, clearly indicating the Congress and the NCP's collusion with Thackeray to thwart the progress of a third force (political alternative)," Singh told reporters here.

"Soon after Thackeray's henchmen abused me at a recent press conference in Mumbai before the full media glare, I lodged an FIR in Marathi. But instead of taking action, we found Thackeray participating in a private dinner invited by a top police officer," he said.

Supporting Singh, SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav expressed regret over the UPA leadership not "bothering to enquire" about the incident. "Even for courtesy neither the prime minister nor the Maharashtra Chief Minister considered it proper to give a telephone call to Amar Singh," Yadav said.

Both Yadav and Singh were in Ranchi along with Telugu Desam president Chandrababu Naidu and All India National Lok Dal chief Om Prakash Chautala to attend a rally organised by the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Democratic) of former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi.

Source : PTI