'Even courts are communal'

"Whenever a witness is examined, the court asks him or her to swear by Geeta, Quran or Bible, depending on which religion he belongs to. Is not that communal?", Thackeray asked.

Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, known for his hard-hitting comments, on Friday did not spare even the judiciary, saying that "even courts in the country are communal."

Recalling previous instances when the courts punished Sena for allegedly being "communal," he said he was saying with full responsibility that even the courts are communal.

"Whenever a witness is examined, the court asks him or her to swear by Geeta, Quran or Bible, depending on which religion he belongs to. Is not that communal?", Thackeray said during his speech at the Sena-BJP campaign rally held at Shivaji Park on Friday evening.

The Sena chief shared dias with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at this public rally.

According to Thackeray, it was essential that these religious books were removed from the courts and instead people were asked to swear by the Constitution of the country.

He urged Prime Minister Vajpayee to take steps in this direction.