Thackeray blasts Cong, Centre on diverse issues

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Sunday attacked the Congress-led UPA government on allegedly burgeoning inflation, uninterrupted infiltration in border areas, unabated incidents of farmers’ suicides and malnutrition and, for him above all, appeasement of Muslims, while putting curbs on Hindus.

He strongly criticised former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s policies towards minorities and especially with regard to Jammu & Kashmir and also the UPA government’s alleged inaction in curbing the activities of Pakistan and China for creating disturbances within the country.

At the Shiv Sena’s customary Dussehra rally at the sprawling Shivaji Park, a well attended one, the Sena supremo in his 50-minute speech, marked with much sloganeering, did not spare UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, either. “It is ridiculous that an Italian lady is ruling the country. On top of it, all Congress members are dancing around Sonia Gandhi,” Thackeray noted.

On Sunday’s rally took place after the Bombay high court had ruled the sound level there couldn’t exceed 50 decibel.

He blasted the Congress for voicing concern over ‘saffron’ terrorism (by Hindu groups). “The Congress-led government at the Centre does not bother about green terror (Hirwa Dahashtwad). Why is Afzal Guru, main accused in the attack on Parliament in 2003, still not being still hanged? It’s due to the Congress party’s appeasement politics,” he said.

Thackeray and his son, Uddhav, who is the party’s executive president, strongly defended the University of Mumbai’s move to withdraw

Rohinton Mistry’s book, ‘Such a long journey’, from the syllabus. The Sena chief said there was derogatory language used against the party.

Thackeray also formally announced the launch of the Vidyarthi Sena, a youth wing, to be led by his grandson, Aditya. He exhorted party members to continue to be loyal and work for the formation of a Sena-led government in Maharashtra. “I am sure the saffron flag will be hoisted atop Mantralaya (the state secretariat). Don’t become depressed due to recent defeats. Elections will come and go. Do not sacrifice your loyalty for some electoral gains,” he advised.