The rather reluctant action by the Sena-BJP Government comes on the heels of Union Home Minister L K Advani's repeated missives to Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. Sources said that he talked tough with Joshi this morning on the issue.

Incidentally, BJP's pointman in Mumbai, deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde who also holds the Home portfolio, was away in Pune today. ``The next two-three days are crucial for us,'' remarked a senior Sena minister late evening. Therecent terror-tactics of the Sena have put its alliance with the BJP under severe strain.

Sources said the BJP Government at the Centre was perturbed about the BCCI attack and the Sena's desperate attempts to shield its role. The attack coincided with Advani's official visit to Mumbai. Apparently, the Sena and, therefore, the State Government's pussy-footing on the issue was taken as an affront not only to the BJP but more importantly to the Union Government. Added to the fact that the Congress appealed to Governor Dr P C Alexander to intervene in the issue, it left the State Government with hardly any option but to move forward in the case.

The Mumbai police now has a list of the offenders and sources say that the list is a clear pointer to Sena's involvement in the BCCI attack. The police, working in four crack teams, interrogated a host of people including several senior Shiv Sainiks to arrive at the list; they have identified the attackers, sources said. By default or design, witnesses to the incidentwere unable to assist the police teams which then resorted to making sketches of the likely attackers.