Indicating that he continues to wield clout over the Shiv Sena despite his age and ailment,Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray,who turned 84 on Saturday,said he would continue to keep the remote control of the party in his hands and that the Marathi Manoos would continue to be the focus of his politics. Many political leaders and celebrities,including his estranged nephew and MNS chief Raj Thackeray,wished him on his birthday. Party mouthpiece Saamna brought out a mega,92-page issue carrying interviews and articles of politicians and celebrities praising the Sena chief. It also carried an editorial in which Thackeray who had been often criticised for running the state government through remote control during the Sena-BJP rule said the ageing process cannot be prevented but he would continue to influence political affairs of the Sena through remote control. Thackeray criticised the state government,saying neighbour Gujarat had made spectacular progress while Maharashtra lagged behind though both were born at the same time. He said the demand for a separate Vidarbha was being raised for political interests. He lauded NCP MP from Satara Udayanraje Bhosale for opposing the demand and lambasted Union Minister and NCP leader Praful Patel for supporting it. Politicians and celebrities who featured in the special issue of Saamna included Sushilkumar Shinde,Vasant Sathe,Chetan Bhagat,Abhishek Bachchan,Priyanka Chopra,Sajid Khan,Ashutosh Gowarikar,Mahesh Manjrekar,Kamal Hasan and Ustad Zakir Hussein.
