Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists ransack Zara showroom in Mumbai
Mumbai: Around 20 Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists allegedly stormed the showroom of the clothing brand Zara at Phoenix Market City in Lower Parel on Tuesday afternoon, demanding that its staff to stop selling ‘Pakistani products’.
Raising slogans, the MNS workers, pulled down clothes and trampled upon them. The MNS workers’ contention was that the showroom sells Pakistani clothes and accessories.
The incident comes in the backdrop of a Pakistan Army court awarding death sentence to ex-Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav. The NM Joshi police officers have registered an FIR against 10 persons who were allegedly involved in the unlawful assembly.
When the MNS workers came to the showroom, some policemen — who were already deployed outside — intervened and dispersed the protesters.
The MNS workers had, on Monday night, visited the showroom and handed its staff a letter asking them to get rid of Pakistani clothes for sale.
The MNS letter, a copy of which is available with this newspaper, reads: “Soldiers, policemen and innumerable citizens of the country are being maimed and killed regularly by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, and the Marathi manoos in Mumbai has also not been spared by these terrorists…. Just yesterday, the Pakistan government awarded the death sentence to India’s soldier Kulbhushan Jadhav on false charges.”
The letter read: “In spite of such atrocious behaviour, Pakistani-made clothes are being sold in India, which is alarming patriotic Indians… The money made by trade with India is being used by Pakistan to spread terror… In light of this, you are asked to immediately discontinue the sale of Pakistani-made clothes in your store.” Though contacted multiple times, no official statement was made by the Zara outlet about the incident.
Meanwhile, vice-president of the MNS’ youth wing Akhil Chitre said, “We were following up on our demand against the sale of Pakistani-made clothes in Zara shops. We have been sending them letters for the last two days, but they were still selling the products. If they continue to do so, we will spread awareness asking people not to buy Zara’s wares.”
