HC issues showcause notice to Bal Thackeray

Aurangabad, Maharashtra, June 4 (UNI) The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court today issued a show cause notice to Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray for making casteist remarks during campaigning for the 2004 Lok Sabha elections in Osmanabad in Marathwada region.

Justice N V Dabholkar issued the notice to Mr Thackeray on an election petition filed by former minister Laxmanrao Dhobale who had contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections on an NCP ticket.

Mr Thackeray, during campaigning for the Sena candidate Kalpana Narhire at Osmanabad, had allegedly made castist remarks against Mr Dhobale and claimed that the latter had contested the election by filing a fake caste certificate.

The Sena Chief, during the public meeting had showed a fake certificate.

Mr Dhobale then had filed the election petition alleging that the said act had impacted public opinion against him and also tarnished his public image. As a result, Mr Dhobale had lost the elections while the Sena candidate Ms Narhire had won, the petition said.

Showcause notices were issued to all the respondents in 2004.

Out of seven respondents, three had appeared before the court and the final argument was over on May 4. The court then had framed the issues and a showcause notice was issued to Mr Thackeray as well as Dadasaheb Kshirsagar of Bahujan Mazoor Party which had an alliance with the Shiv Sena for the then Lok Sabha elections.

The court issued notices to both Mr Thackeray and Mr Kshirsagar under provision (a) of section 99 (I) of Representation of Peoples' Act and directed both as to why showcause notice should not be issued to each of them and as to why Mr Thackeray should not be named as person having been guilty of corrupt practice of the nature alleged in the petition.

The case will come up for hearing on July 2.

UNI