'India a nation of cheaters'

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday blasted Congress-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra for a series of scams and corruption cases.

India has unfortunately become a “nation of cheaters”, he said, mentioning recent land scams involving Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra and Lavasa scam linked to the Nationalist Congress Party chief, Sharad Pawar. He also criticised the rush to give clean chits for those allegedly involved in these scams. The 85-year-old Shiv Sena chief made these comments via a video clip, as health issues kept him from visiting the annual Dussehra rally at the sprawling Shivaji Park (Shivtirth) in north central Mumbai.

Thackeray said it was ironical that despite scams and corruption cases, Congress members would continue to appease voters by paying money. He exhorted his party members to foil such attempts.

He touched upon the crucial issue of division in Marathi votes, especially after Shiv Sena's split when Thackeray's disgruntled nephew Raj Thackeray formed the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. “I sincerely feel the Marathi manoos should be united and he should not be pitted against the Shiv Sena,” Thackeray said. The obvious reference was Shiv Sena's rout in its bastion of Dadar in north central Mumbai in the February civic elections.