Thackeray backtracks on Babri issue

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICENASHIK, FEB 5: Within A MONTH OF SUGGESTING THAT A NATIONAL MONUMENT BE built at the disputed site in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray has backtracked, stating that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted to construct a Ram temple at the spot, he would not object.Addressing an election meeting here last night, Thackeray said he had merely stated that if the Babri row continued to remain unsolved, a national monument be erected on the spot. He said his suggestion of creating a national monument and naming it after the revolutionary of the 1857 uprising, Mangal Pandey, did not mean that he had shelved the proposal of constructing a Ram temple on the spot.Incidentally, Thackeray had suggested the creation of a national monument at Ayodhya, at a press conference in Mumbai on January 9. His suggestion had created a flutter in political circles and caused embarrassment to Sena’s electoral partner, the BJP. However, the BJP, in its election manifesto released on February 3, hadmade its intention of constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya, clear.Thackeray further said that under no circumstances, would Sonia Gandhi be allowed to become the prime minister of the country. He said she was not only an alien, but unpatriotic, as she had taken her husband, Rajiv Gandhi for a holiday in Italy when the 1971 Indo-Pak war broke out. Thackeray pointed out that Rajiv, then, was a pilot with the Indian Airlines, which had asked all pilots to report for duty in wake of the war, to transport troops.He accused Sonia of siphoning money from India to Italy in the Bofors deal, with the help of people like Quatorocchi. He said if she was allowed to take charge of the reins of the country, she would ruin it. He said those who felt that she would be the best prime minister, should invite the Britishers, who were at least, good administrators, to rule the country.He pointed out Sonia’s son had been baptised as Rahul John Paul Gandhi and even her daughter was married in a Christian family. He said all thepersons close to her, like Vincent George, were Christians. He also lambasted Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia for demanding an apology over the Babri demolition. Thackeray said Scindia was a `Kalank’ (blot) on the family which once was a part of the Maratha empire and rulers of Gwalior. He said the question of apologising for the Babri demolition did not arise. “Has the Congress apologised for the killing of Sikhs in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination?” he asked.He urged the electorate to see through the political ploys of the alien lady (Sonia), who had opposed the entry of her husband into politics. He said the people, especially the younger generation should not be misled by her looks as looks were deceptive. He said his party would not allow Sonia or any other foreigner to rule the country. He added that revolutionaries like Mangal Pandey had snatched freedom from the Britishers, it was not won by the Congress party.Lambasting Chhagan Bhujbal for calling him a coward, Thackeray said the formerwas nothing more than a dancing kid in the folkdance troupe of Sharad Pawar from Baramati. He said he was on the top of the hit list of terrorist and separatist forces, which spoke volumes about his courage.Clarifying his stand on the proposed candidature of former chief election commissioner T N Seshan by Shiv Sena from Maharashtra, Thackeray said that the party had shortlisted three constituencies – Washim, Ahmednagar and Khed, for fielding Seshan. He said that either because the Sena had its own strong local candidate (like Vikhe-Patil from Ahmednagar) or the local situation was unsafe for Seshan’s victory (like the candidature of Sudhakar Naik from Washim and the Mohol family from Khed), the party did not give him a ticket. Thackeray said he was personally concerned about the image of Seshan and did not want him to be defeated.Referring to the BJP’s poll promise of creating a separate Vidarbha state (to which the Sena is opposed), Thackeray said statehood for Vidarbha was the last step. He said prior tosuch an occurrence, his party and the Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra would take all possible measures for the redressal of grievances of Vidarbha people, as an alternative.