MNS a carbon copy of Sena: Thackeray

Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Wednesday lashed out at his estarnged nephew Raj Thackeray accusing him of hijacking the agenda of the Shiv Sena. Thackeray also referred to former Prime Minister Morarji Desai as General Dyer for his crackdown on protesters during the Samyukta Maharashtra movement.

In the first part of an interview published in the Sena mouthpiece Saamna on Wednesday,Thackeray,without naming Raj,said the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was merely selling a carbon copy of the Shiv Sena to the people by championing the cause of Marathi people. Call it my blessings or support. Whatever I say or do,they do the same thing,their agenda is the same,meaning it is Shiv Senas carbon copy, he said referring to the issues of migrants and the permit system in Mumbai. Thackeray referred back to the occasion when he had made a speech at Shivteerth,Shivaji Park,on October 22,1966.

I had said that migrants have started coming and their entry should be controlled now and a permit system should be started, he said,adding that people who were born recently were making the same demand.

Thackeray criticised the role of the then chief minister Morarji Desai in suppressing the Samyukta Maharashtra struggle. He turned out to be the father of General Dyer as he ordered the shooting of protesters of the united Maharashtra movement… How could he be a Gandhian? he said.