Advani to look into Thackeray's `Muslim' remarks

Advani to look into Thackeray's `Muslim' remarks
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

MUMBAI, JAN 10: Union Home Minister L K Advani has promised to look into the reported statement of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray regarding disenfranchisement of Muslims.

Advani has communicated to State Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal that he would study the matter, an official release said here tonight.

Bhujbal, on December 20, had sent the clippings of Thackeray's three-part interview given to the party mouth-piece Saamna last month, to Advani for his perusal.

The Union Home Minister, in his letter to Bhujbal, who also holds the home portfolio, has said that he has received the newspaper clippings and would look into them.

Meanwhile, the legal department of the government has already given a green signal to go ahead with the action against the Sena chief.

Following the legal department's nod, the government has asked the police to look into the matter. The DF Government had sought the legal department's opinion after the Sena chief's statement came in the eye of the storm.

Thackeray, in his interview had stated that the so-called secular parties will not bother about Muslims if the latter's right to vote is taken away from them.

When his statement invited ire from all quarters, Thackeray said his statement had been taken out of context and distorted by vested interests.

``I only intended to expose the so-called secular political parties, which have used minorities as vote-banks and are not genuinely concerned about the community'', the Sena chief had then said.