PM protects corrupt leaders, should resign: Bal Thackeray

Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray on Thursday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately resign and recommend dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

Attacking Manmohan Singh for "wearing a mask of honesty", Thackeray said that the common man was fed up with the rampant corruption witnessed in the current United Progressive Alliance regime.

"The prime minister has spared no efforts to protect and save any of the corrupt leaders, ranging from A Raja to Kanimozhi to Suresh Kalmadi, and now P Chidambaram. The PM stands thoroughly exposed," Thackeray said in the party mouthpiece Saamna.

Referring to the finance ministry note saying Chidambaram could have prevented the spectrum loss, Thackeray alleged that the correspondence between the finance, telecom ministries and the prime minister's office revealed that the entire cabinet was steeped in corruption.

The prime minister was accusing the opposition of conspiring to force early elections rather than tackling corruption, Thackeray said.