Bal Thackeray launches grandson Aditya in active politics

From Media Sources
Bellevision Media Network

Mumbai, 18 October 2010: During the traditional annual Dussehra rally of the Shiv Sena Party on Sunday, 17 October 2010 at Shivaji Park, the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray officially launched his grandson Aditya Thackeray in politics by nominating him as the head of the Yuva Sena as a young face to motivate young Maharastrians to join the Shiv Sena. Bal Thackeray  launched his grandson Aditya as Yuva Sena chief by giving him a ceremonial sword in the presence of 200,000 audience lustily cheering the Thackeray family. Thus, a strong critic of dynastic politics, Bal Thackeray unwittingly became the promoter of the very dynastic politics passing on the baton of political leadership to the third generation in his own family.

In one of his longest speeches in recent memory, speaking for almost 45 minutes, Thackeray denied he promoted dynastic politics in the Shiv Sena. Aditya is Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray’s son. Referring to Aditya’s younger brother Tejas, the Shiv Sena patriarch said that he had much in common with him.

Supporting Aditya’s successful agitation in getting the University of Mumbai to withdraw Rohinton Mistry’s book ’Such a Long Journey’ from its syllabus, Bal Thackeray said it contained expletives. In a thundering voice Bal Thackeray said, "Why was it brought in as a syllabus in colleges?". He further said that the next generation of the Thackerays was better than Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah. Thackeray said youngsters were coming together to cleanse politics and asked the people to stand by Aditya.

Bal Thackeray strongly denied that he had been promoting dynastic rule and  said that he will not stop anyone if they come forth due to their merit and he would not promote anyone on dynastic grounds.

Defending the position of his son Uddhav Thackeray as the executive president of Shiv Sena, Bal Thackeray said that Uddhav was named executive president by those staying in Krishnakunj, the residence of Raj Thackeray. Elaborating this fact further, Thackeray said that he did not bring Uddhav into the Shiv Sena and he did not want dynastic politics. The one who brought him there was staying away.

Thackeray ridiculed Raj Thackeray’s claims of being a major player in state politics. "For the last 45 years, I have not become anyone’s sycophant, I have lived and will live with self- respect," said Thackeray.

The Sena president also used the occasion to launch an attack on the Gandhi-Nehru family, the Congress, state Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar and the media.

He criticised Chidambaram for his "saffron terror remark" and took pot shots at the Congress for the recent controversy after Maharashtra Congress chief Manikrao Thakre and former minister Satish Chaturvedi were caught on tape discussing the high cost of organising Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s rally in Wardha.