Addressing a public meeting here yesterday, Thackeray came down heavily on Gawande and said Bal Thackeray had skipped the meeting only because Gawande was ``a small insect'' (who could be dealt with easily).

``Those who left Shiv Sena witnessed their own political death and Gawande will prove to be no exception,'' he said.

Thackeray also launched a scathing attack on Republican Party of India MP Prakash Ambedkar for supporting Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's demand that India should give financial assistance of Rs 2,000 crore to Pakistan.

Meanwhile, in Amravati dissident Shiv Sena workers created disturbance at Raj Thackeray's meeting.

Even as Thackeray was delivering his speech, a group of Senamen raised slogans against local Sena leader Ravindra Mirlekar, who wasrecently appointed as contact chief for Amravati district.

Thackeray threatened to leave the spot if slogan-shouting was not stopped.

Some of the rebels later left the meeting.