Mumbai, August 31: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today took a dig at senior BJP leader L K Advani, saying an ”iron man” like him must be hurt that people have accepted Manmohan Singh, whom he had termed as a ”weak” Prime Minister. “Till yesterday you were prime ministerial candidate and you were referring to Manmohan Singh as weak prime minister but people rejected an ”iron” man like you and accepted a ”weak” Prime Minister like Manmohan Singh so you must be feeling hurt,” he said in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece ”Saamana”.
He said he was concerned over the state of affairs in BJP but dismissed reports that the Sena, taking advantage of the affairs in that party, will demand that its candidates should be given tickets for 200 of the 288 seats in the forthcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra. In the last Assembly polls, Sena contested 171 seats and BJP 117 seats.
“The way news emanates on a daily basis regarding that party, there is an atmosphere of concern. Rivals are saying BJP has become like the dead parrot in the Akbar-Birbal tale but we don”t think so,” he said.
“I have no doubt that the parrot will soar in the sky again,” he said adding, “The parrot may not be dead but its movements have slowed down. It doesn”t eat, its eyes are closed.
It is a matter of concern.” .
—-PTI–