Mumbai, Jan 8 (IANS) Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray Sunday trained his guns on Team Anna members Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, terming them 'a bunch of worthless, selfish persons'.
He also hit out at ailing social crusader Anna Hazare, raising questions on the source of finances for his 'five-star, corporate' hunger strike agitation in recent months, in an interview in Saamna, the party mouthpiece.
'They go on hunger strikes for flimsy reasons, demand this and force to do that ... This is nothing but a 'political rape'. What is going on in this country,' Thackeray demanded.
Attacking Hazare, Thackeray wanted to know 'What happened to the much-tom-tommed 'Lokpal Bill'? Does the country really need it, and will it serve any purpose?
'It will end up in vicious circles, committees will be appointed for committees, corrupt would probe the corrupt, and in the process, the common man will continue to suffer,' he pointed out.
Referring to Team Anna members, the Sena chief said that they have been cheating the government and it has been proved by the recent Shanti Bhushan episode.
'They wear 'I Am Anna' caps, but they are headless...' he remarked sarcastically on Team Anna.
Terming their acts as nothing but 'a Bollywood filmy drama', Thackeray questioned Team Anna members' credentials in carrying on the anti-corruption agitation.
All this is going on because the central government is 'weak and lame' - 'Who are (P.) Chidambaram or (A.K.) Antony? Do they deserve to occupy such high posts? It has happened because of using influence,' he declared.
Thackeray said that these days it has become the 'fashion' of some people to go on hunger strikes and emerge 'healthier' from the exercise. 'Is anybody bothered about the forced hunger that the (malnourished) infants in the state have to undergo?'
The interview comes ahead of Thackeray's 86th birthday scheduled to be celebrated Jan 23, barely a fortnight before crucial civic elections across Maharashtra.
Thackeray's attack on Anna and his group should surprise no one.
Just as the Nehru/Gandhi family has been ruling Delhi, the Thackeray family has been ruling Maharashtra ever since Thackeray raised the parochial slogan of Mumbai for Marathis.
He could afford to do so because Marathis never go out of Maharashtra and his could never think of winning a seat outside Maharashtra, it is a cmpletely localised party.
One thing I have noticed is that it is the smaller parties who are attacking Anna the most. Is it because they have the maximum to lose if Anna's fight against corruption is successful? NCP - 9,SHIV SENA -11,SP -22, RJD-4, LJP-1 are the main critics who created the most noise and yet their total strength in the 543 member house is only 47, i.e less than 10%.
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