Sena asks Advani to rein in Munde

Sena asks Advani to rein in Munde
PRAFULLA MARPAKWAR

MUMBAI, AUG 24: With no let-up in BJP leader Gopinath Munde's outbursts against Thackeray and the Sena, the party today urged Union Home Minister L K Advani to take stern action against him.

While Union Minister for Heavy Industries Manohar Joshi spoke to Advani on telephone, Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Nirupam personally called on the Home Minister to convey the feelings of the Shiv Sena.

Senior Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai confirmed that the party had taken up the issue with Advani, since it was the considered view of the party that in view of the alliance between Shiv Sena and BJP, it was highly improper on the part of the leaders of the stature of Munde to launch a campaign against the Shiv Sena.

Expressing strong displeasure, apparently, L K Advani has assured the Shiv Sena that he will personally discuss the issue with Munde during meeting of the national executive of the party at Nagpur on August 26 and 27.

Launching the election campaign in the neighbouring Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, Munde had launched a frontal attack against the Shiv Sena for the utter mess in the civic body. Simultaneously, Munde had strongly criticised the Sena for not supporting the Vishwa Hindu Parishad sponsored bandh in the wake of largescale killings of Amarnath pilgrims in the Kashmir valley.

Shiv Sena was unhappy over the manner in which Munde was conducting the campaign, particularly in the wake of the agreement reached between the alliance partners during the elections of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation. Then it was agreed that the Shiv Sena and BJP will not criticise each other.

Shiv Sena has decided to ignore the utterances of Munde for political reasons. ``We feel that Munde is not that big leader that we should take cognisance of his statements. At the same time, we briefed Advani on the controversy so that the BJP high command is aware of the style of functioning of Munde,'' a senior sena leader added.

The Sena leader said, so far neither Advani nor Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee have endorsed the stand taken by Munde. ``The day Advani and Vajpayee approve the view taken by Munde, the alliance will come in trouble,'' he said.