Mumbai, Feb. 9: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has said that his struggle for creating a Maharashtra ony for Maharastrians will continue inspite of the verbal backlash from the country's northern and eastern belts.

In an article written for the MaharashtraTimes on Friday, Thackeray Junior said that if Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh could take on the Government of France over the Sikh turban issue and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi could defend the recent Malay Tamil agitation in Malaysia, why could he not defend the right of all living in Maharashtra to behave like Maharastrians?

He said that no one had the right to label him a "goonda" (anti-social element), when all he was doing was promoting the "self-respect of his state".

"Even if the whole world opposes my stand, I and my party will continue the struggle to protect Marathi culture, Maharashtrian people and will trample the goondaism of UP and Bihar."

The piece titled Majhi bhumika, majha ladha (My stand, My struggle) urges the Maharashtrians to stop “sitting on the fence” and urges them to “join the struggle."

He also uses his article to criticise film star Amitabh Bachchan again, calling him an out and out regionalist, and scathingly refers to West Bengal's Communists as non-liberal and unsecular.

Thackeray will address the Marathi media this afternoon. The national media have not been allowed to cover the event.

The press conference assumes significance as it is being held after Thackeray made derogatory remarks against 'Chhat Puja', a popular ritual in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The Raj Thackeray-led MNS has been targeting north Indian migrants living in the metropolis and taken objection to celebrations like Chhat puja and Uttar Pradesh Diwas in Maharashtra.

The party is promoting the view that "when in Maharashtra, behave like Maharashtrians.

Earlier, violence had rocked Maharashtra as the Samajwadi Party (SP), which is largely based in Uttar Pradesh, took out a rally despite the threat of disruption by Thackeray.

Security has been tightened across Mumbai to avoid any kind of violence. (ANI)