Thackeray hits out at Sonia, Congress

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Sunday launched a spirited attack on the Congress, calling it a party of eunuchs, not even sparing its president Sonia Gandhi, whose Italian origins came in for much criticism.

Addressing the annual Dusshera rally at Shivaji Park after two years, where the Bombay High Court had put curbs on decibel levels, an undeterred Mr. Thackeray spoke for nearly 45 minutes. He also launched the party's Yuva Sena, headed by his grandson Aditya Thackeray.

Mr. Thackeray joked that he came late for the rally as he was busy collecting money for it. He said that after Mughal and British rule, now the country was headed by an Italian. Referring to Ms. Gandhi, he said she was a hostess in a hotel. He asked the crowd whose leadership they accepted. Is Rahul Gandhi or Omar Abdullah suited for leadership, he asked.

Mr. Thackeray said he was not for dynastic rule. He defended the induction of his son Uddhav into the Shiv Sena, emphasising that it was a party decision. “In my party it's Shivshahi,” he remarked.

Referring to Raj Thackeray, he wondered who it was that copied his style of speaking. He said style was one thing but thought was more important. “I am the one who made Marathi an issue even before he was born,” Mr. Thackeray said, in a dig at his estranged nephew.

He also derided Raj for claiming that the State government would not be formed without his party's help in the last elections. Nothing of the sort happened, Mr. Thackeray pointed out.

Mr. Thackeray said the Sena would pursue complaints about EVMs in courts. Questioning the method of these machines, he said these could not last for long.

He said Jawaharlal Nehru had wrecked the country, giving preference to Muslims. Kashmir was still burning and there was discussion still on whether it was part of this country. Referring to Afzal Guru, he said a man convicted for terror could not be hanged in this country. He predicted doom if the party continued to rule the country. He attacked Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram and said he could see only saffron terror and not green terror. He could not stand the brilliance of saffron, Mr. Thackeray remarked, saying that no Muslim could change the nature of the country. He was acerbic about State Congress chief Manikrao Thakre, who was caught on TV discussing funds for Ms. Gandhi's rally, and said the party would face its downfall because of this.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar too came in for criticism for promoting wine when people had no food to eat. Next on his radar was State Revenue Minister, a former sainik, Narayan Rane. Mr Thackeray said he had made him a Chief Minister but now after he joined the Congress and became a Minister, it was evident that Ministers were above the law. Referring to the incident where Mr. Rane's son Nitesh was involved in an alleged shooting incident, Mr. Thackeray wondered whether there was a separate law for a Minister's son.