PUNE, Jan 24: Republican Party of India (RPI) president and MP Ramdas Athawale today suspected Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray's intentions behind the climbdown from his stance of not allowing the Pakistan team to play in India for a year.Athawale in Pune to inaugurate the `Parivartan Manch' categorically told media persons today that he did not believe Thackeray's assurances and would send RPI workers to Chennai to ensure that no untoward incident takes place when the Indo-Pak series gets underway on January 28.Athawale also lashed out at Union Home Minister L K Advani for pandering to the whims and fancies of Thackeray and bowing to his threats instead of taking stern action against him. He accused Advani of bringing disgrace to the post by personally trying to appease Thackeray and bringing about a truce.The party president Kushabhau Thakre could have met the Shiv Sena leader, he said wondering why was it necessary for Advani to have specially met and convinced Thackeray to change his adamant stand.. He said RPI's would make efforts to salvage the situation by personally inviting the Pakistani cricketers to play at the Wankhede Stadium during the next series.Mumbai is the mecca of cricket and has seen greats right from Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar, Athawale said assuring that the RPI would see to it that the BCCI headquarters would be relocated at Mumbai The RPI leader severely criticised the attacks on churches and the Christian community at Gujarat including the torching of an Australian missionary at Bhubhaneshwar while reiterating their demand for a ban on VHP, RSS and Bajrang Dal.
