Mumbai: After BJP raised a storm over the alleged 'appeasement' of minorities by the Congress, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray took up the cudgels, saying "Hindus do not get what Muslims get in the country."
As if to counter Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's now-infamous "Muslims' first claim on resources" comments, Thackeray on Wednesday said: "Hindus in the country have been orphaned. Hindus do not get what Muslims get."
Addressing a convention of party office-bearers, the Sena chief said education imparted in madrassas in India was that of hatred towards India. Under such circumstances, "the Sachar Committee report proposing Rs 5,500 crore spending on the education of Muslims" is simply meaningless.
The speech marked Thackeray's entry into the electoral politics for the upcoming elections to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to counter Congress president Sonia Gandhi's election campaign.
In fact, Thackeray singled out Sonia Gandhi for attack when he questioned the heightened security cover for Sonia, saying "the fact that she is getting the same security cover as the PM is demeaning to the post."
"Who is Sonia? What is her connection with this country?" the octogenarian Thackeray thundered. "If she is getting the same security as the PM, what is the value of the PM's post" he asked.
Thackeray spoke for over 30 minutes sitting in a chair. He even made it point to tell the crowd that his body had become tired and he was not able to give a speech while standing as he had done earlier.
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