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Journalism of Courage
Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who turns 80 in January, on Thursday indicated that he would soon withdraw from active politics and confine his role to chief of the party’s advisory board.
‘‘I will be the chief of the party’s advisory board,’’ Thackeray said, responding to a query whether he was considering political sanyas. Addressing reporters at the bungalow of Mumbai Mayor Datta Dalvi here in Ranbambuli village near Malvan, Thackeray said he would appoint an advisory board of the Sena and be its chief. ‘‘But I would still be wielding and using my remote control whenever I feel the need to,’’ he said.
Asked who would fill the leadership vacuum, Thackeray gestured towards Uddhav, Manohar Joshi, and other Sena leaders surrounding him. The vacuum has already been filled by these people, he said. Raj Thackeray was not present at the meeting. ‘‘He has a severe backache because he drove himself from Mumbai to Malvan and back. I had warned him not to do so,’’ Thackeray said.
Thackeray also reiterated his decision not to address public meetings other that the Sena’s annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park. ‘‘I have decided not to address election rallies anymore,’’ he said. His last public address was, perhaps, yesterday’s meeting in Malvan, in support of nominee Parshuram Uparkar.
The Sena chief denied that his party had conferred martyrdom on Rane by making this election a prestige issue. ‘‘The Congress had almost prepared to bring Sonia Gandhi here. My rally was planned accordingly. Though she did not come, the Congress roped in other senior leaders. We had to give a befitting reply,’’ he said. On the results, he said” ‘‘If we lose, we will wait for the next election.’’
Asked what he had learnt from Rane’s rebellion, Thackeray said he did not need to take lessons from anybody. He also ruled out organisational changes in the Sena structure after the by-election. ‘‘The Sena will never take up Gandhivaad. We will stand by our core ideology come what may,’’ he said.
