The Maharashtra government might send the tapes of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s speech, asking Hindus to form suicide squads, to the Centre if it finds them provocative, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said today. Bhujbal, who also holds the Home portfolio, said: ‘‘The tapes of Thackeray’s speech will come to us, and if found provocative we will send them to Union Home Minister L.K. Advani.’’ ‘‘Thackeray is in the habit of making controversial remarks but this statement was probably made to establish that he was a more aggressive Hindutva leader than those of the BJP and RSS,’’ he said. In Delhi, the Congress criticised Thackeray and demanded derecognisation of his party by the Election Commission. Such remarks that ‘‘spread hatred and instigate people to take to arms’’ are unconstitutional and against the law of the land, party spokesman Jaipal Reddy said. Reddy even insisted on legal action. ‘‘By asking people to take to arms, Thackeray has violated the Constitution. Democracy is a system in which the game is played according to the rules. Thackeray, obviously, does not believe in them,’’ he said. Reddy said Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was in touch with the Congress high-command and will take the necessary legal steps.
