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Don't take us for granted, Thackeray warns BJP

While ruling out any threat to the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray warned the Bharatiya Janata Party not to take his party's support for granted.

Addressing his 34th annual rally at Shivaji Park on the occasion of Dussehra, which is also the foundation day of the Shiv Sena, Thackeray said his party was supporting the Vajpayee government "in the interests of the nation".

The Shiv Sena's interest is only "desh-heet" (the country's interests) and "Maharashtra-heet" (Maharashtra's interests), he claimed, and said his party would never deviate from this objective.

"But the BJP should not test our patience. We would not like to behave like Mamata Banerjee," he said.

Thackeray said the continuance of the Vajpayee government was in the country's interests and its fall could, apart from leading to mid-term elections, also ignite a civil war.

Thackeray stressed the need for a 'revolution' in the country and said that if the need arose, he would lead from the front. "Give me the army and I will bring about a change," he declared.

He lambasted BJP president Bangaru Laxman for his appeal to Muslims as soon as he took over the reins of the party at Nagpur.

"I am totally against this appeasement. Why does one have to specify any particular religion? Why can't you say that you would take along with you each and every Indian," Thackeray asked angrily.

"The number of Bangladeshis living illegally in the country is growing year by year. Give me the army and I will kick them out," he said.

Continuing in the same vein, he said, "Why should Hindus always extend an olive branch to Muslims. Why can't they think that they are one amongst us?"

The Sena leader also criticised Congress president Sonia Gandhi for visiting the Ghatkopar landslide site in July. He said she visited the place only because the victims belonged to the minority community. "But she did not visit the site of firing on Amarnath pilgrims and Bihar, where massacre of innocent people is the order of the day. I hate this appeasement of minorities."

Thackeray came down heavily on the Centre for not paying enough attention to the welfare of the kith and kin of the Kargil martyrs. "A widow of a young war hero was given the job of a peon. The government should feel ashamed for ill-treating the widow," he said.

He promised that the Sena would take up the issue of rehabilitation of the families of martyrs through its newly launched outfit -- Shiv Sena Ex-Servicemen's Association.

UNI

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