NCP, not Shiv Sainiks to blame for attack: Thackeray

Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Monday came in defence of his party workers and blamed the attack on the 'Maharashtra Times' office on Nationalist Congress Party's state president Madhukar Pichad.

"Police should register case against Pichad and not against the Shiv Sainiks. Pichad's statement was responsible for the attack and not the Shiv Sainiks," Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Samaana'.

"It is good to hear from state Home Minister R R Patil, that the vandals will not be spared. However, first the people involved in 'paid news' should be gagged," he said.

Equating the Sharad Pawar-led party to a "dance bar", the editorial said, "NCP is also a dance bar. Titillating girls are brought in to dance there and the money, looted from the people is showered upon them."

Defending party MP from Amravati, Anandrao Adsul, a report about whom led to the attack, Thackeray said, "Adsul protected his freedom of expression and nobody has the right to call him an offender."

Lashing out at 'Maharashtra Times', which published the news item, saying Adsul may join NCP, the editorial said, "How it can be called the freedom of press?"

"We cannot support the attack on the newspaper, but why such attacks take place also needs to be looked into," it said.