BOMBAY: “If propagating Hindutva is a crime I will keep committing it till I die” asserts Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. In an interview with a newspaper here He spoke on the party’s electoral fortunes and the litigation his party is facing due to its stand on Hindutva.
Undaunted by the reversals in the courts Thackeray reiterated that his party will continue to espouse the cause of Hindutva “which according to me is rashtriyatra (nationalism). Hundreds and thousands were ready to give their lives during the struggle for freedom similarly we too are ready to sacrifice and in this case it is just a Seat not even our life. And if it comes to life we are ready for that also.”
Muslims taken for ride
“Muslims” he added “cannot afford to get isolated in India and the youth have realize that their imams and Shahabuddins have been taking them for a ride so many of them have been writing to me extending their support to the cause. This shows that there is a growing understanding of the phenomenon.”
Speaking on the BJP-Sena combine’s electoral prospects Mr Thackeray said:” “What for a historic verdict. The Congress and the Janata Dal are on tenterhooks and are close to defeat” According to the Sena pramukh even A.R. Antulay Sunil Dutt and Madhu Dandavate know this and are displaying their nervousness.
The Sena leader said neither Mandal nor the Muslim vote was going to come to the aid of V.P Singh or the Congress (I). Elaborating further he said that his party and the BJP together will easily bag over 30at least 35seats in the coming polls “You will not believe me now but you will after the results are announced” the Sena chief averred.
Dissidence in Sena
On the reported dissidence in his party especially in Aurangabad (Sambhajinagar to him) Thackeray said “this is happening in all the parties but it will not affect us like it does the Congress. This problem was there in the last elections too. Where are those Johnnies now? Similarly we have expelled Subhash Patil (an influential Sena worker in Aurangabad) who thought he was bigger than the party. They must know that they have grown because of them.”
Raring to hit the campaign trail Thackeray added that his main plea to the voters will be “you have tried all of them. Give BJP a chance just one chance and if they don’t deliver I will shun them and not come to you again.”
Discussing communalism Mr Thackeray pointed out that nobody objects to V.P Singh holding closed-door conclaves with the Imam of Jama Masjid and spending three hours begging for Muslim votes Even the Congress has been doing so for years. “Yet they are secular and we are dubbed as communal. If there is nothing wrong with the Congress using the hands of various gods and heads of religion to woo the voters why it is a crime to seek votes in the name of Hindutva?”
‘VP communal cattiest”
He said V.P Singh was the most communal and cattiest politician in the country. He felt the same about Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav too they are not just pro-Muslims but are anti-Hindus too. “They will be punished for their crimes shedding the blood of Hindus at Ayodhya and the youth across the country during the anti-Mandal agitation. He lamented the conditions in Kashmir where the national flag was being burnt and yet no strong action was being taken. “How can the Hindus sit and watch this hopeless situation? They will have to fight to prevent a second partition of this country and we (the Sena and BJP) are going to lead this battle.”
Thackeray also ridiculed the Congress’ theory of stability. What do they mean by stability when they have squandered 44 years of the country’s life and resources?” He asserted that the pro-BJP wave was sweeping the country. He felt that BJP would easily win over 300 seats and come to power at the Centre”
A stumbling block
If there was a stumbling block it was the lack of funds. “We need funds to match the Congress They have amassed funds over the last 40 years and have had the opportunity to milk various corporate entities using their position of power.” He pointed out that even the Janata Dal has not refrained from doing so. However he was confident that the combine would overcome these hurdles and that the people would vote them to power because of the cause they have taken-up.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 31, 1991
