Mumbai, Oct 31: Softened his stand on celebration of ''Chhat'' puja in Maharashtra, MNS chief Raj Thackery today said that he was not opposed to the festival being celebrated in the State but warned against it being used as a show of political strength.

"I have never opposed ‘Chhat’ puja but only spoke against political stunt associated with it.... People from Bihar who live here can perform the religious rituals according to their customs. My party has never opposed it," he said while addressing a press conference.

Raj warned that he would not tolerate disregard of the Marathi speaking people in the state.

Commenting on the killing of Rahul Raj, who was killed in a police shootout after his alleged attempt to hijack a public bus by scaring passengers with a revolver at Kurla in Mumbai on Monday, he said, “The police action was "proper" as no one knew from which state the youth came from. What if he had shot some commuters, then you people would have taken the police to task."

Thackeray also downplayed the killing of Dharamdev Rai from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, who was beaten to death on a train in Badlapur in Maharashtra, during a brawl with a group of youngsters.

"The Railway police are saying that there has been no involvement of any political party," he said. (ANI)