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The 10 most controversial things the Thackerays have said recently

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The Thackerays of Mumbai make news. Mostly with what they say. Bal Thackeray turned controversial utterances into a fine art and son Uddhav and nephew Raj have carried forward the tradition.

The typical Thackeray utterance is disruptive, designed for shock value and shows little consideration for public safety, communal harmony or personal dignity. With their comments the Thackerays often instigate violence and claim responsibility for attacks on people and places. Respect for public property is scant. Wars within the family have seen an ugly one-up-manship in their shrill attempts to hijack the "Mumbai for Marathis" agenda, much to the discomfort and displeasure of other well-known Mumbaikars.

All of this is aimed at making headlines. Over the years, there have been so many such statements that the headlines have shrunk in size and display.

On Monday, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray threatened to physically attack Sanjay Nirupam, a Congress leader who was once a prominent Shiv Sena member given to many controversial statements of his own. Mr Nirupam, while addressing a public rally in Nagpur, said "North Indians could bring Mumbai to a halt if they chose to."

"I dare Nirupam to carry out his threat... If he tries to disrupt activities in Mumbai I will break his teeth," Uddhav Thackeray told reporters.

Were these the most shocking words uttered by a Thackeray in public? Let's take a quick look at the 10 most controversial things that the Thackerays have said in the recent past.