Thackeray slams Kasab's lawyer

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Monday criticised Anjali Waghmare, appointed by the government to defend Mumbai terror attack accused Ajmal Kasab, saying it was "shameful" on her part to appear on behalf of a terrorist.

He recalled a recent incident in Kolkata where the legal community "stood united and refused" to defend a Pakistani national accused of duping girls.

"In Mumbai, around 200 people and 16 policemen including three top officers were killed by terrorists. The lawyers in Mumbai too should have refused to defend Kasab to assert their patriotism," Thackeray said in an interview given to party Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut in the Sena mouthpiece Saamana.

Referring to Anjali, Thackeray said, "The lady says she is not afraid of even dying. She need not be afraid of anything as she has been provided with Z-class security. Even the judge should apply his mind this time (about necessity to have a defence lawyer)."

Thackeray also described as a "joke" about the debate on human rights in the country. He lamented that despite Supreme Court awarding death sentence to Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru, the President was not able to act in the case and the power to decide on the issue rested with the country's home minister.

"This is a murder of democracy. The attack on parliament house was an attack on India's sovereignty. Are you not ashamed?" Thackeray asked.