Raj doesn't have to worry about me: Bal Thackeray

Rubbishing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray's 'hollow sympathy' for him over the Lok Sabha's privileges committee summons issue, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Wednesday told his nephew that he need not bother.

"We are competent to tackle the case. You should not worry," Thackeray said in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece
Saamana.

Raj has threatened not to allow officials and people's representative from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to enter Mumbai if the committee summons Thackeray in a breach of privilege case.

"The MNS people are now worrying about my age and health. But my health is the same as it was when Raj left the Sena", Thackeray said.

The Sena chief compared the pain and anguish caused to him by blood relations to Shivaji Maharaj's struggles with his kin. "Shivaji's own people back stabbed him. I am also sharing the same fate so much that there is no space on my back to accept further backstabbing," he said.

"When Raj was born, I was in prison over the boundary row. So the path of struggle is not new to me," he said.

"Raj is now showing his love for Marathi and dedication for me. Where was his love and dedication when he left the
Sena, the cohesive force of Marathi people and formed his own party," the Sena chief said.

Thackeray referred to a Mahabharat story where Lord Krishna's progeny was responsible for killing Krishna and the yadavas.

Ridiculing the MNS chief's warning that Maharashtra will burn if the committee went ahead with the summons, Thackeray said, "today, anyone is speaking of burning Maharashtra."

"I used to smoke cigar, pipe and cheroot earlier but setting Maharashtra on fire is not as easy. That needed a struggle of 40 years," he said.

The committee has summoned the Shiv Sena leader for his alleged 'intemperate' comments against Members of Parliament.

"Delhi (the Central government) would have to first walk over the bodies of 11 crore Marathi people," Raj had said while commenting on media reports that the committee has decided to call the Sena leader after Diwali.