MUMBAI, May 17: Chief Minister Manohar Joshi appears caught between the horns of a dilemma over fasting social activist Anna Hazare. He has already ruled out an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into Hazare's Hind Swarajya Trust and made a public request that he call off his week-long fast.

But beyond this appeasement, Joshi seems able to do little else. For the doors of communication appear to have been shut on Hazare by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's hardened stance on the social activist.

However, Hazare seems unwilling to respond to Joshi's not-so-subtle overtures, a fact visible in the tantalising glimpses into the Sahara scam which he has exposed in bits so far.

The seriousness with which at least Joshi takes the campaign, despite an earlier cabinet decision to ``ignore'' Hazare, is evident in the fact that he has postponed his extended world tour by a couple of days. The obvious worry, say political observers, is that his absence at this juncture might leave the field open to possibilities that might have dangerous consequences for his government. Yet the compulsions of a ``business tour'', being handled by the State Industries department, render him hard-pressed to `balance' his political priorities with the economic ones.

Many Sena leaders have been deeply worried about the fallout of the face-off between Thackeray and Hazare ever since their chief said at a rally this week, ``We will not care even if the old man dies.'' He repeated the warning at another public meeting in Kolhapur on Thursday.

This is being interpreted by Sena men as a warning to Joshi, who has so far shown a soft corner for Hazare, to cut him down to size and open up an investigation into trust a long-standing Thackeray demand as a counter to Hazare's campaign against the government. However, in a skillful balancing act, Joshi appears to have met both half-way while letting Thackeray know in his own intrepid manner that he can be pushed thus far and no further. But Hazare's response at this juncture is more important and so far `Anna' seems in little mood to relent.

``The CM had shown tremendous skill in handling both Hazare and Thackeray the last time. Now, however, any attempt to appease Hazare will be seen by Balasaheb as open defiance of his diktat. At the same time, Anna cannot be so deliberately ignored,'' a senior Sena leader told The Indian Express.

Indeed, while Thackeray has all along been going hammer and tongs at Hazare, Joshi has shown a marked reluctance to condemn him out of hand. So there is a clear division in the Sena ranks about the Joshi's role in Hazare's campaign. While some obviously appreciate his deft handling, others suspect that Joshi is ``using'' Hazare to his own ends.

But while the latter might wish Joshi to be checkmated by Thackeray, who appears not to have missed the soft approach to Hazare, many in the Sena are worried about a far deeper fallout of the issue. Were Hazare's life to be truly endangered by this face-off between him and Thackeray, they are genuinely concerned about the consequences of blood on their hands. ``Anna is obviously hurt by the innuendoes against his personal integrity. He might not give up so easily this time,'' a senior minister said. They note Hazare's own hardening stand and worry that his campaign might yet acquire more teeth. And the Chief Minister might find it a close call, indeed. Pressed for time, Joshi has so far been unable to work any miracles in defusing the crisis. Besides, his imminent tour finds the Sena exposed on yet another flank, any negotiation in his absence is bound to be undertaken by Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde.

The Sena wing of the government is deeply concerned at the manner in which the BJP has emerged cleaner the last time round. ``The BJP managed to escape by maintaining a studied silence during his first campaign. Whereas Balasaheb's statements against Anna were seen by the public as a resistance to the fight against corruption,'' another Sena functionary admitted. Aware that Hazare appears to be surrounded by several RSS ideologues who are keeping a vigil over his fast, the Sena is also concerned about how Munde might handle the imbroglio in Joshi's absence. They fear the credit BJP might once again get for defusing the crisis, for Munde might find himself under no obligation to obey Thackeray's diktat. ``We might be the losers yet again,'' the Sena leader added. So the CM might well leave for South East Asia with his fingers tightly crossed.