Thackeray warns against 'vindictive action'

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI, JULY 16. After much muscle-flexing on Saturday night, the Shiv Sena today backed down from any public confrontation with the Government on the issue of permission to prosecute its supremo, Mr. Bal Thackeray but not before he indicated that such ``vindictive action'' against him could lead to a situation forcing Article 356 - dismissal of the State Government - on Maharashtra. To this, the Chief Minister, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh's response was: ``I have done my work, it is for others to do what they want. But my Government would not be shattered like that''.

The prosecution has been sanctioned for Mr. Thackeray's alleged role during the 1992-93 communal riots in Mumbai, then known as Bombay.

Mr. Thackeray's remark that the State Government's action of initiating a process under Section 153(A) of the Indian Penal Code against him could lead to a ``communal riot'' has been taken note of since such a statement has been made in Mr. Thackeray's own newspaper, Saamna today. Apart from being intimidatory, sources said, it could attract the very same provision under which permission had already been granted to the Mumbai police to prosecute him. An FIR may be filed against him soon on this.

Throughout the day, the focus was on the State Government and Mr. Thackeray and not on Mr. Abu Asim Azmi, the city chief of Samajwadi Party, who also has a similar prosecution. Mr. Azmi's party is a member of ruling coalition in Maharashtra and he has opted to take recourse to legal means to save himself as against the threatening tones of the Shiv Sainiks. Street-level action is very much on the cards but not for now.

Any action against Mr. Thackeray or even against Mr. Abu Asim Azmi ``is not immediate'' according to well-placed sources in the State Home Department. They said ``however speedily we act, it would take some days''.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Chagan Bhujbal, said ``the files I signed yesterday have to go to the Home Department, then on to the police which will consult its lawyers and then frame a chargesheet and take it to court. It takes some time since papers move at their own speed''.

The former Sena Chief Minister, Mr. Narayan Rane, said today that ``we will fight this on the streets but at an appropriate time''. They do not intend to raise the issue in the Legislature session starting tomorrow but concentrate on that fora on ``people's issue''. The BJP's Mr. Gopinath Munde too said: ``We will take people's concerns to the House. We will not raise the proposed action against Mr. Thackeray. Our response will come only when Mr. Thackeray is touched''.

Earlier in the day, some Sena cadre stopped trains for three hours, just as they did on Saturday night for about an hour. But then, word was sent from their boss to withdraw their action on the plea that the party had shown its muscle. However, for public consumption it was put out that its was the ``gladdening spontaneous response of people''.

PTI reports:

``I will insist on implementation of Article 356 to dismiss the DF Government if it proceeds with my prosecution case under Section 153 (a) of the IPC,'' Mr. Thackeray told mediapersons at his suburban Bandra residence.

``By raking up an eight-year-old case, the DF Government has only shown a revengeful attitude. If something untoward happens, the entire responsibility will rest with the DF Government''.

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