Athawale, who was here to inaugurate the `Parivartan Manch', categorically told media persons today that he did not believe Thackeray's assurances and would send RPI workers to Chennai to ensure that no untoward incident takes place when the Indo-Pak series gets underway on February 28.

Athawale also lashed out at Union Home Minister L K Advani for pandering to the whims and fancies of Thackeray and bowing to his threats instead of taking stern action against him. He accused Advani of bringing disgrace to the post by personally trying to appease Thackeray and bringing about a truce.

The party president Kushabhau Thakre could have met the Shiv Sena leader, he said wondering why was it necessary for Advani to have specially met and convinced Thackeray to changehis adamant stand. Athawale further ridiculed Thackeray's announcements that there would be no Indo-Pak match in the state. He said RPI's would make efforts to salvage the situation by personally inviting the Pakistani cricketers to play at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, during the next series.

Mumbai is the mecca of cricket and has seen greats right from Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar, Athawale said assuring that the RPI would see to it that the Board of Cricket Control for India (BCCI)'s headquarters would be relocated at Mumbai after a year when the BJP-SS alliance would be thrown out of power.

The RPI leader also severely criticised the attacks against churches and the Christian community at Gujarat including the torching of an Australian missionary at Bhubhaneshwar while reiterating their demand for a ban on the militant organisations of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, RSS and Bajrang Dal.

The RPI will concentrate on wooing the Muslims and winning their trust, Athawale said adding that their nationalexecutive committee's meeting will be held on March 6 and 7 at New Delhi to deliberate on the future course of action.

We are the laughing stock

Even as Ramdas Athawale (MP) openly admitted to the rift in the RPI leadership and stated that various leaders' attempts to bring about unity had made them a laughing stock, he pooh-poohed charges of `RPI selling out to the Congress'.

While not directly naming the Prakash Ambedkar faction who had levelled charges of the RPI's sell out, Athawale retorted that one however could not be sure about the relations they may struck up with the BJP leadership. ``Even if Prakash Ambedkar's efforts to raise a third front may work to the BJP-SS alliance, `pure Ambedkarites' will never help them,'' Athawale asserted.

He expressed confidence that the Election Commission would recognise his faction as the real RPI as out of the nine members of the national presidium, five supported his faction. Elections also have been conducted constitutionally, Athawale said he wasconfident of getting the rising sun as the symbol. The EC's decision is expected by March-April, Athawale said.