A bunch of worthless men: Thackeray slams Team Anna

Mumbai, Jan 8: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has attacked Team Anna, calling its members "a bunch of worthless, persons". Thackeray hit out at Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia but did not name Anna Hazare.

"There are differences between them (Team Anna). They are all worthless.... Kejriwal, Bedi, Sisodia. All are worthless," he said in an interview in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

The Sena chief also ridiculed Hazare's "five-star, corporate" hunger strike agitation. "There are hunger strikes for trivial causes. This is nothing but a 'political rape'," Thackeray said, in an interview in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"Does the country really need the Lokpal bill," he asked. Team Anna members have been cheating the government, he said. The Shanti Bhushan episode -- the former Union minister allegedly evaded stamp duty to the tune of Rs 1.35 crore in the purchase of a prime property -- was a case in point, he said.

Thackeray, who celebrates his 86th birthday on January 23, also attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi over her "foreign origin" and ridiculed Rahul Gandhi's prime ministerial ambitions.

"What love will she have for this country and what is her contribution here?," he said. On Rahul Gandhi, Thackeray said, "He was born yesterday and wants to be Prime Minister today. Is the PM's post up for auction," he said.

PTI