Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who is in the race for the post of President, will have to prove his 'Maharashtrian roots' first and Shiv Sena will not merely support him because he belongs to the state, Sena chief Bal Thackeray said on Thursday.
In an article in the party newspaper Saamna, Thackeray has questioned what benefits the state has received due to Patil occupying the post of Home Minister.
'When there were atrocities committed in Karnataka over the border issue with the state why did you not speak then? What are you going to do about the issue of hanging Afzal Guru? It is only after you give replies to these questions that we will consider you as a Maharashtrian,' he said.
Thackeray also pointed out that despite being in Delhi and in a powerful position, Patil failed to win a seat in the Lok Sabha but 'was able to get a seat in the Rajya Sabha and obtain the post of Home Minister due to the kindness of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.'
'After getting such a prestigious post, can he state with conviction how much he has done for the benefit of the state and the Marathi manoos (Maharashtrians),' Thackeray asked.
"We would be happy to have a Maharashtrian as the President but on what basis can he claim to be one," the Sena chief probed.
The article also states that the Sena is presently considering whether to support the candidature of Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat or Patil for the post of President.