Shiv Sena chief allows legislators for foreign study tour

Mumbai, Oct 3 (UNI) Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has given his assent to party legislators to go on a ''foreign study tour'' where they were invited by the Commonwealth, after they apologised to him.

Mr Thackeray was angry with the legislators because they did not seek his prior permission for the tour.

Senior Sena leaders such as Executive president Uddhav Thackeray, former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, MP Sanjay Raut and party whip Gajanan Kirtikar pursuaded Mr Thackeray. They told him the expenditutre for the tour would be shared by the legislators, state government and the Comonwealth.

Sena chief allowed the legislators to go on a jaunt.

However, he warned them saying, ''Henceforth, they would not go on any tour without his prior permission.'' Mr Thackeray had earlier also warned his party legislators that they should not go on a foreign tour when Maharashtra was facing trying conditions including the floods, which could burden the state treasury.

In all, 42 legislators from Maharashtra were supposed to go on a foreign tour in two groups, Nine MLAs are from the Sena.

While the representatives of other parties were ready to join the tour, Sena chief used his famous ''remote control'' and gave a red signal to the legislators.

Sena MLAs who are going on the tour include Arjun Khotkar, Sandipan Bhumre, Namdeo Pawar, Subhash Wankhede, Annasaheb Mane, Sunil Dhande, Yogesh Patil, Suresh Jethlia and R O Patil - all belong to Marathwada and Khandesh regions.

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