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Thackeray says law and order in Bombay is 'the best'

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today stressed that the law and order situation in Bombay, and the state in general, was 'the best' and there was no real cause for concern.

In the same breath, Thackeray justified police encounters with criminals and said that the encounters should continue. The Shiv Sena supremo was speaking to the media today in Pune.

Thackeray brushed aside allegations that the law and order situation in the state had taken a severe beating saying that such allegations were mere exaggerations.

At present, the metropolis was witnessing internecine gang feuds, Thackeray stressed. ''If rival gangs have undertaken to finish off one another, it is good for Bombay,'' he stated.

When asked to comment on former chief minister Sharad Pawar's observations, in particular, about the deteriorating law and order situation in the metropolis, Thackeray said that Pawar had no locus standi to make such statements since he himself was responsible for the bad state of affairs.

In this regard, Thackeray sought to know from Pawar as to how two criminals -- the Sharma brothers -- had accompanied him in the same plane during his tenure as defence minister. Thackeray also referred to reported statements by Anees, brother of Dawood Ibrahim, where the latter had reportedly admitted of having ''good relations'' with Pawar.

Thackeray, however, admitted that a large number of unorganised criminals, whom he described as ''unlisted'' criminals, were creating tension in Bombay.

These ''unlisted'' criminals used to previously work as hitmen of gangsters like Dawood for a small fee, Thackeray said. In this regard, he cited the example of cassette king Gulshan Kumar who was killed for ''reportedly a small sum of Rs 7,500''.

The same ''unlisted'' criminals have now realised that they can make much more money through their own individual criminal activities rather than remain under the patronage of the gangsters, Thackeray stated.

It is these criminals who have now unleashed a reign of terror in Bombay, Thackeray admitted. He admitted that considering the large number of these ''unlisted'' criminals it would take the police a longer time to contain their activities.

He flayed the human rights groups for hauling up the police in courts for alleged violation of human rights.

Interference by human rights groups has severely demoralised the police, he said. The police are now reluctant to take any action against criminals fearing that if they do so, they might be hauled up by the human rights groups, Thackeray said.

The policemen do not wish to blot their service record during the last years of their service, he said.

He stuck to his demand of giving free power to poor farmers. Farmers form the backbone of the society and they have had to face a difficult season with four natural disasters striking them in succession, he pointed out.

When the government can face the burden of paying hefty salaries to government employees as per the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations, it can very well do as much for the poor farmers, he said adding that the burden of free power could very well be made up by practising austerity measures.

Thackeray stated that he had never advocated free power for all farmers but only to the poor farmers.

Referring to the ban on the play Pasaydaan based on his life, Thackeray stated that he had not been shown the script. The play contained some very stupid dialogues attributed to his father, Thackeray said adding that such poor portrayal of his father was not to his liking.

UNI

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