Bal Thackeray blasts Maharashtra CM, calls him inept

Equating the Congress party to Moghul kings who have invaded Maharashtra, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Friday heaped scorn on Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, calling him "inept".

In a strong-worded editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, Thackeray ridiculed Chavan, who has been claiming that the Sena will become "inconsequential" after the Mumbai civic polls on February 16.

"His parents named him after a braveheart but would not have thought that he will turn out to be so inept," Thackeray said.

"You (Chavan) would not have blabbered if you had even an ounce of self-respect," the Sena chief said. Dethroning Sena from the Mumbai civic body is not as easy as Chavan is making it out to be, he said.

Shiv Sena came into being not for politics or power games, but to oppose the injustice done to Marathi-speakers, Thackeray said.

The Nehru-Gandhi family had propped up Chavan's father Anandrao to counter Yashwantrao Chavan, he said.

"Anandrao Chavan was given all help to hinder the march of Yashwantrao Chavan, who was a senior, decent and cultured leader," Thackeray said.

Anandrao was made a central minister but could not make any impact, he added.