MUMBAI, May 14: Sena-BJP alliance need not take Anna Hazare seriously - Shiv Sena supremo, Bal Thackeray, believes he is a ``crackpot.''

Declaring that his government would tackle corruption its own way, he has asked the state adminstration to ignore Hazare's fast. In a vicious attack marked by rather unsavoury language, he accused the anti-corruption crusader of becoming a pawn in the opposition's hands and wondered where the likes of Hazare were during the 35 years of Congress ``misrule.''

Thackeray was speaking after inaugurating an auditorium in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday night.

Thackeray, in a particularly nasty mood, later directed his ire to Arun Gawli and his projection by the media as a ``don wronged by the society.'' Thackeray said Gawli's `Hindu don' image was a media creation. However, he confessed that he once had proposed Gawli's name as an alternative to Dawood Ibrahim. He said he did so on the request of BJP MP Jayawanti Mehta, who had complained to him about alleged sexual harassment of women by Dawood's henchmen. ``It was in that context that I said Gawli could give a fitting reply to Dawood.''

Thackeray, who edits party's mouthpiece Saamna, also had a comment or two about the news sense of journalists. ``The release of Gawli was on the front pages all over, whereas the chief minister's and the deputy chief minister's first meeting with the new prime minister was buried inside,'' he commented. The day Nagpur Bench of Mumbai high court quashed Arun Gawli's detention under the National Security Act, Saamna had led with Thackeray also criticised the Nagpur bench of high court for imposing fines on the police officials for, what the court had described as, their malafide intentions in detaining Gawli. He termed the cash penalty as ``highly improper,'' and declared his support for chief minister Manohar Joshi's decision to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.

Crude, says Bhujbal

Leader of opposition Chhagan Bhujbal has condemned Sena supremo Bal Thackeray for employing ``filthy and abusive language'' against anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.

``This is a rather crude attempt at maligning a social worker's image. Instead of taking action against corrupt ministers and government employees, Thackeray has chosen to abuse Hazare,'' Bhujbal said. He demanded the government take urgent steps to protect Hazare's life, who is on indefinite hunger-strike from May 7. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman, Ratnakar Mahajan, has alleged the alliance government is treating casually the allegations of corruption levelled by Hazare.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.