UPA soft on Islamic Terrorism: Bal Thackeray

Mumbai, Oct 10: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Thursday, Oct 9 handed over the reigns of the party to his son Uddhav Thackeray at a Dussehra rally in Mumbai. In his speech Thackeray lashed out at the Congress led UPA government and said that the UPA is going soft on 'Islamic Terrorism'.

“The Islamic terrorists are planning and executing serial blasts with impunity. However, the government keeps wringing its hands in despair. Why is the Centre not sending the army to mosques? Indira Gandhi did it (in 1984) to flush out terrorists from the Golden Temple. Indirabai was a woman of supreme courage,"" Thackeray said in his brief address to Shiv Sainiks at the party"s annual rally on Sunday, Oct 9. He asked the Mumbaikers to vote out Congress from power.

“The government which fails to curb terrorist activities has no right to continue in office even for a minute,"" he added. Stating that the Congress has completely lost its grip on the affairs of the nation, the Sena chief said, “No one believes in the rule of law. No one is afraid of the government. The country is in dire straits."" Bal Thackeray"s 20-minute speech was a rambling monologue punctuated with humour. He described Sonia Gandhi as a woman from Italy who has come to India with a 'chai ki ketli" (punning on Italy). On his friend, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar: “Indians are made to eat wheat which is as 'sadka" (rotten) as Pawar"".

Thackeray flayed rave parties and urged the youth not to misuse civil liberty. He asked them to concentrate on studies and go to 'Silicon Valley' instead of drinking, petting and necking.

Uddhav Thackeray made his maiden speech in the Shiv Sena annual Dussehra rally which signifies that new generation is taking charge of the Shiv Sena and cause of 'Marathi Manoos'. Making sure that the Sena continues to chase the Marathi vote, the Bal Thackeray asked the crowd to judge whether his Uddhav's speech was aggressive.

"You have just heard Uddhav Thackeray speak. Many people say Uddhav is very soften spoken and is not aggressive. But today you heard what Uddhav has to say. Now it's for you to make your judgements," he said. Thackeray said that age had taken a toll on his health and that he was tired. He made it clear at the very outset that he had 'no new thoughts' to offer to the thousands of Shiv Sainiks gathered at Shivaji Park.

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray in his speech made it amply clear that the 'Marathi manoos' issue would be his party's main plank in the next elections and launched a tirade against those questioning Marathi people's right over this city. "To all those who ask to whose father Mumbai belongs, I say, it belongs to our fathers," Uddhav said while addressing the Dussehra rally of Sena.

"I dare all such persons to go to Kolkata, Lucknow, Chennai or Hyderabad and ask the same question there and see the reaction. Everybody has taken the Marathis for granted. Not anymore. Marathi and Maharashtrians must be respected," he said.

Uddhav also strongly criticised Maharashtrian ministers in the Union Cabinet like Sharad Pawar, Shivraj Patil and Sushilkumar Shinde for ignoring the state's interests. "I am ashamed of calling Pawar, Patil and Shinde as Marathis due to their utter lack of concern over issues concerning the state," he said.

OneIndia News