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Sena ministers, MPs warn of violence

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Shiv Sena ministers and members of Parliament today warned the Union government that it would have to take full responsibility if party chief Bal Thackeray's contemplated arrest triggered violence in Maharashtra.

Sena ministers Manohar Joshi, Suresh Prabhu and Balasaheb Vikhe Patil tendered their resignations to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as it became clear that Thackeray's arrest was imminent.

The Maharashtra government has cleared Thackeray's prosecution in connection with some inflammatory editorials he wrote in party mouthpiece Saamna during the 1992-93 Bombay riots.

After meeting the prime minister, Prabhu and Patil accompanied by party MPs Anant Gite, Shivaji Mane, Chandrakant Khaire, Anand Adasool, Pritish Nandy and Satish Pradhan met Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani.

Later talking to newspersons, the Sena MPs questioned the state government's decision to arrest Thackeray seven years after the said editorials appeared in print. "It is an utterly vindictive move by the Maharashtra government," Gite said.

"The Maharashtra government is inviting trouble...entire Maharashtra will go up in flames if this (Thackeray's arrest) happens," said Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Home Affairs has painted a grim picture of the security situation in Maharashtra in it's report the prime minister's office. "The recent attack on the Nationalist Congress Party office was an indication of the things to come," a source said.

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