Bring down Congress rule; Thackeray urges people

Mumbai, May 1 (UNI) Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray has urged the people of Maharashtra to bring down the ''corrupt'' and ''inefficient'' Congress government which, he said, had led the State to all round failure in the past seven years.

In a front-page statement in today's issue of party's mouthpiece ''Saamna'', on the occasion of 46th foundation day of the State, Mr Thackeray said the state of affairs in Maharashtra had worsened under the present Congress regime.

''Things have come to such a miserable situation that people might sing ''Hai Hai Maharashtra'' instead of ''Jai Jai Maharashtra'', Mr Thackeray said.

The Sena Chief accused the Congress-led coalition government of not doing enough for farmers, mill workers, malnutrition, irrigation backlog and pushing out illegal migrants like the Bangladeshis.

''Be it the dance bar ban issue or demolition of encroachments...

there is chaos and confusion'', he said.

While the people are suffering, ministers are busy attending Natya, Sahitya Sammelans, Lavni mahotsav, Mr Thackeray said.

Referring to Chief Secretary D K Shankaran's reported remark that about two lakh files are pending in Mantralaya, Mr Thackeray said the ministers should be ashamed of this.

He recalled that it was on this day that the Samyukta Maharashtra with Mumbai as its capital was formed and said that nobody should forget that Mumbai was the capital of Maharashtra first. He said all efforts to take Mumbai out of Maharashtra would be nipped from the bud. ''Till Marathi speaking people are alive, nobody should dare to even think of separating the city from the state'', he added.

UNI MR KD CH ND1910