Date:05/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/05/stories/2007010508631200.htm

National

Do not trust Musharraf, Thackeray tells Manmohan

Arunkumar Bhatt

Bal Thackeray

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray wants Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not take Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf as a friend as he was ``primarily responsible'' for terrorism in India.

``Gen. Musharraf behaves like a gentleman but he is not a gentleman and [do] not shake hands with him as a friend, he will never [be] a friend," Mr. Thackeray cautioned the Prime Minister in an interview to this correspondent at Matoshree, his residence, here.

Mr. Thackeray, a cartoonist himself, recalled a cartoon of yesteryear when U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower was meeting the Soviet Foreign Minister, Andrei Gromyko. Someone standing behind Eisenhower warned: `no, no, Mr. President, do not give him your hand, if you do you will not get it back.' ``If Dr. Manmohan Singh, our Prime Minister does it, he will not get his hand back.''

Asked about his recent statement in the Shiv Sena daily, Samana, calling for greater use of Marathi, Mr. Thackeray said he had not sought to impose Marathi on any non-Marathi person. ``I am telling only my own people [Maharashtrians] and not others to use Marathi language as a first choice.''

Samana on Wednesday carried Mr. Thackeray's strong views on the language and it gave rise to speculations here that he is invoking linguistic sentiments in view of the coming civic polls.