PUNE, 8 March 2006 — The firebrand leader of the fundamentalist Shiv Sena party Bal Thackeray has questioned police ineffectiveness in dealing firmly with Muslim protesters following the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Lashing out at the state government, Thackeray said that when the Sena activists take out protest rallies, the police gain enormous strength to beat them up, now we would like to question the police as to why they became weak and lost the strength to tackle the recent protest rally by the Muslims of Bombay?
In a hard-hitting front page editorial in party mouthpiece “Saamna” published yesterday, Thackeray stated that anti-Bush rally by Muslims in Bombay was in reality a “show of strength” which has sounded alarm bells for the Hindus. Thackeray further wrote that though the Muslims claimed that protest against Bush was to protest against the publication of the cartoons of Prophet in Danish and other newspaper, but that was just a pretext, while the real fact was that Muslims had come together to demonstrate their real “show of strength”.
Stating that the Muslims in India are now united and better organized, they are exercising their strength and with the Muslims raising the bogey of Islam being in danger, they are playing a dangerous game of politics, which has become a threat to the survival of Hindus and the country, Thackeray said.
Appealing to the Hindus not to ignore the Muslims’ anti-Bush rally held last Thursday in Bombay, Thackeray said the Muslims had held a stormy rally at the Azad Maidan, as a warning to Hindus. “This is warning bells for you Hindus to take serious note of the unity of the Muslims. Therefore take it seriously, and we are warning you” Thackeray wrote.
