"Hand" behind Ghatkopar incident: Thackeray

MUMBAI, July 22: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has alleged that the Congress is trying to create a rift between the Sena, neo-Buddhists and...

MUMBAI, July 22: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has alleged that the Congress is trying to create a rift between the Sena, neo-Buddhists and Dalits for achieving political mileage by using the firing incident at Ghatkopar.

According to him there was no base to the allegations that the Sena-BJP government was anti-dalit. He also rejected the rumour that several disgruntled sainiks have joined hands with the Akhil Bharatiya Sena (ABS).

“I am not afraid of the rise of Arun Gawli’s political party. It will die a natural death, ” he opined.

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When asked about the police firing at Ghatkopar, Thackeray said the sub- inspector M Y Kadam, who had ordered the firing, has declared the circumstances under which he was compelled to open fire, and that the state government had instituted a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Thackeray said many Sena shakha pramukhs and legislators are dalits. “I never inquire about anybody’s caste in the Sena”, he claimed. He also went on to say that though many neo-Buddhists were converts he still rated them as “our own” saying, “they have changed the religion but not their blood.”

Regarding the morcha organised by ABS, Thackeray said that it included people from Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, Ghatkopar Babrekar Nagar and Kandivili where illegal hutments were demolished. He added that Sachin Ahir a relative of Gawli who is also an office-bearer of Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh supplied manpower to the morcha.