Mumbai: In a vicious, personal attack on Rahul Gandhi for his comments on Mumbai, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday said frustration sets in when a person doesn't get married "despite advancing age" and the Congress MP was also "victim of this disease".
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for his statements on the role of north Indians in protecting Mumbai during the 26/11 terror attacks, Thackeray said in an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamna: "It seems that since Rahul won't grow any further physically, he has now grown horns and wisdom teeth to make such statements."
"Despite advancing age, if a person does not get married, he becomes frustrated, even Rahul seems to be a victim of this disease and makes stupid remarks," Thackeray lashed out.
"Rahul speaks of the north Indians' contribution during the 26/11 attacks, but in Kashmir, maximum number of soldiers from Maharashtra sacrificed themselves to protect the national borders. By his senseless utterances, he has spat on the sacrifices of the brave Marathis and other security personnel during the Mumbai attacks. Each and every Maharashtrian must deplore him," the editorial said.
Denying that the Sena ever advocated separating Mumbai from the rest of the country, Thackeray said the party does not need lessons on this from "Prince" Rahul, especially since his party Congress was responsible for the division of the country. "Now, these people talk of unity."
The editorial added that the Sena had never said Mumbai was not a part of India nor could seeds of separation be ever sowed on Maharashtra soil.
However, whenever Islamic terror loomed, the Sena raised its voice as only 'Hindutva' had the power to inspire people from all parts of the country to fight against it.
"But Congress is allergic to the word 'Hindutva', especially the Nehru-Gandhi clan which feels that national unity can be achieved only by pampering Muslims," Thackeray observed.
He warned that whoever tried to challenge Maharashtrians would have to bow before them. "Let 'Prince' Rahul study history and he would know how his great grandfather Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had to apologise to the people of Maharashtra. Let the Prince not repeat such mistakes," he said.
Thackeray declared that the entire country indeed had a right over Mumbai, but the first and foremost right was of Maharashtrian sons-of-the-soil who speak Marathi.
Stating that north Indians were happy and prosperous in Maharashtra, he urged Rahul Gandhi to concentrate on the plight of north Indians in South India and Assam.
"Let Rahul go to Belgaum area and listen to the Maharashtrians' angst there against the Kannadigas and give them justice - we shall applaud him for this."
"Every part of India belongs to every Indian. All Indians have every right to go and work anywhere in the country," Rahul Gandhi had said at a press conference in Bihar Tuesday.
The Shiv Sena, Gandhi said, was silent when National Security Guard (NSG) personnel from various parts of India fought Pakistani terrorists during the November 26-29, 2008 attacks in Mumbai
"In Mumbai, men in the NSG were from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. At that time, they (Shiv Sena) were silent and did not say that those from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh should be taken out. India has to move forward and all have to be taken forward," Rahul said.
IANS
First Published: Wednesday, February 03, 2010, 15:26