Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who has issued a diktat to his partymen to greet Rahul Gandhi with black flags for his "Mumbai for all Indians" remark, today attacked Marathi ministers at the Centre for "not protesting Rahul's anti-Mumbai statement."
"Sharad Pawar, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Prithviraj Chavan, Murli Deora and Praful Patel cannot show the self-respect shown by late C D Deshmukh. Not a single Marathi minister at the Centre opposed the humiliation of Marathi people," he said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
On the contrary, "Congressmen are ready to even take up a broom and clean the road where Rahul would be travelling (during his Mumbai visit)," Thackeray said.
Comparing Union Minister Prithviraj Chavan with his namesake in history, Thackeray said, "That Prithviraj Chauhan was patriotic and fought against foreign invaders. This Prithviraj Chavan bows before foreigners."
"The history of Rahul's ancestors is that of being anti-Maharashtra. Motilal Nehru used to get angry by the mere mention of the word Maharashtra," he alleged.
"Is it a crime to say Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra and Marathi people?" the Sena chief asked. "Shah Rukh Khan rolls out the carpet for Pakistan players and shamelessly asks what crime has he committed," Thackeray said.
Thackeray described Rahul as "the Italian prince" and asked people to show him black flags in Mumbai. The Congress leader will visit the city today and interact with students and slum youths.