Bal Thackeray's remarks trigger Sena-Congress clash

Members of the Shiv Sena and the Congress clashed in the legislative council on Monday, with members of the latter party objecting to the language used by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in an interview published in the party mouthpiece Saamna against Sonia Gandhi.

Congress MLC Hussain Dalwai raised the issue the in legislative council about Thackeray’s interview conducted by Sena member of Parliament and the newspaper’s editor Sanjay Raut. The interview used unsavoury language to criticise Gandhi.

“The use of such language is against the tradition of democracy. Sonia Gandhi is the chairman of the United Progressive Alliance. Forbes magazine has ranked her 10th on the list of the most influential personalities in the world,” Dalwai said.

Another MLC, Manikrao Thakre, said that the language used was out of bias. Chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh directed home minister RR Patil to take appropriate action in the matter.

The interview was published in the Sena mouthpiece on Friday and blasted the Congress for its dynastic politics. Dalwai said that the government should drag the publisher of such an interview to court and file cases for publishing an interview with such language to insult Soniaji.

“The language doesn’t go well with the spirit of democracy,” he said.