Bal Thackery attacks Congress 'dynasty' politics

Mumbai: Bal Thackeray, whose son and grandson occupy important positions in the Shiv Sena, on Friday attacked the "dynasty" politics of Congress president Sonia Gandhi saying it was taking the country down the dumps.

However, he claimed there was no dynasty politics in Shiv Sena.

"Rahul Gandhi harbours ambition of becoming the Prime Minister. Sonia has become everything and is proceeding in an autocratic manner," he said in the first part of a marathon interview published on Friday in his party mouthpiece "Saamana".

Thackeray further said that Priyanka Vadra was coming up in politics "like another Indira Gandhi".

"Rahul wants to become the PM. Is the PM's post like some chair in Bhendi Bazaar area?" he said referring to a market in Mumbai.

By the same breath, he claimed "There is no dynasty (politics) in Thackerays". He said he did not nominate son Uddhav (executive president) or grandson Aditya (head of the Yuva Sena) to the positions in the party held by them in the Shiv Sena.

It may be recalled that Bal Thackeray's nephew Raj, who heads the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), left the Shiv Sena after Uddhav was made the executive president a few years ago.

In the interview, Thackeray said there was no leadership in Maharashtra now, and went on to say, "Why only Maharashtra, there is no leadership in the country."

On the August 11 violence in Mumbai during protest against incidents in Myanmar and Assam, Thackeray pointed that Assam was full of insurgents from Bangladesh.

"Indira Gandhi showed courage and liberated Bangladesh from Pakistan. Assam is our own. What is the military doing? Shoot the miscreants," Thackeray said.

Referring to Afzal Guru and Kasab, Thackeray said, "It has been 11 years since Supreme Court sentenced Afzal Guru to death. Why can't they be hanged? Or have we run out of ropes due to farmers’ suicides," he said.

He further lauded the morcha taken out by estranged nephew and MNS chief Raj against the August 11 violence. "Raj took out the morcha. It is okay. People rose but sat down on the face later. Why should anyone make this effort," he said.

Thackeray also lampooned former Army chief General VK Singh offering Anna Hazare a glass of juice to end his fast.

"No one knows whether it was electral, mosambi juice or something else. But he drinks anything that is offered," Thackeray said.