MUMBAI, March 22: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, amidst high drama at his residence Matoshri, on Sunday announced his decision to take a temporary break from active politics. He, however, clarified that this should not be construed as "sanyas" (renunciation). "I am going away from politics only for some time."Thackeray, who declined to declare the period, said: "It could be a day, a month or a year." He refused to comment on the reasons.
Thackeray did not budge to the pressure from a large number of partymen, who had thronged at his residence this morning. However, he reiterated that he was firm on his decision and keep himself aside from the active politics.
Partymen shouted slogans in support of Thackeray and screamed. They made in vain repeated pleas to their party supremo to withdraw his decision. Thackeray's announcement has come in the wake of his scathing attack on the chief minister Manohar Joshi in an interview to his party's mouthpiece "Saamna," on Saturday. He had alsocastigated Joshi for continuing his (read Joshi's) friendship with the Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar despite the ruling saffron's debacle in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
"Let them do whatever they wish. I am firm on my decision. This is a question of whole Maharashtra. I am taking this step in the interest of Maharashtra. Though bitter, you will have to accept this decision," Thackeray today told "Saamna," in the second and concluding part of his interview, that has sparked off speculation about the future of the Manohar Joshi cabinet.
Thackeray, also denied that he had accused Joshi of corruption charges as quoted by a section of the English press which had reproduced excerpts from his interview published in "Saamna" yesterday. However, he said that he was unhappy with some ministers and people around Joshi against whom there were complaints from grassroot workers.
Thackeray said that the chief minister should be careful of the people with whom he mixes around. The Sena supremo alsoset at rest rumours about the resignation of Joshi an added that he not contemplating any change in the leadership of the party's legislature wing. Rumours had been doing the rounds about chief minister's resignation since last night.
Thackeray said that the chief minister may continue to for next two years or another five years after the term of present term of the state assembly was over in 2000. However, he reiterated that Joshi would have to be careful about the people around him.
Thackeray said Joshi during a telephonic call requested him to reconsider his decision. However, he added that he declined to do so.
Joshi told reporters that he had not resigned from his post and alleged that efforts have been made in certain forces which were against the saffron government to spoil his relations with Thackeray.
Joshi said he knew about Thackeray's decision since last couple of days and added he was persuading the party chief from not resorting to this harsh step. He added that his efforts to persuadeThackeray would continue.
On his friendship with Pawar, Joshi admitted it still exists but he had never mixed it with politics. He added that he had made Pawar a major target during the recent general elections.
Sena supremo said that his son Uddhav and nephew Raj have received a lot of complaints of the style of functioning of the shakhapramukhs (branch heads) and upnetas (deputy leaders). They have taken a serious note of these complaints. Opposition leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Chhagan Bhujbal on Sunday pooh-poohed Thackeray's decision and added that the Sena chief was "trying to make a scapegoat of the chief minister Manohar Joshi and some ministers" for the debacle suffered by the ruling Sena-BJP alliance in the general elections in Maharashtra.
Terming it as "maha-natak"(a great drama), Bhujbal said that "the whole effort is aimed at shirking the responsibility for the poll debacle and shifting the blame on the chief minister."
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
