Hazare's 5-star hunger strike is political rape: Thackeray

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has dubbed as political rape Anna Hazare's "five-star, corporate hunger strike for trivial causes" and dismissed Team Anna members as a bunch of "worthless" persons.

In an interview in party mouthpiece Saamana, he hit out at Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia but did not name Anna Hazare. "There are differences between them (Team Anna). They are all worthless .... Kejriwal, Bedi, Sisodia. All are worthless," he said.

The Sena chief also ridiculed Hazare's "five-star, corporate" hunger strike agitation, saying the hunger strikes were for trivial causes. "This is nothing but a political rape," he said. Does the country really need the Lokpal bill, he asked.

He accused Team Anna members of "cheating" the government. The Shanti Bhushan episode -- the former Union minister allegedly evaded stamp duty to the tune of Rs 1.35 crore in the purchase of a prime property -- was a case in point, he said.