Now, Thackeray attacks Chavan

The Shiv Sena has now turned its ire towards Chief Minister Ashok Chavan for “playing Shah Rukh Khan’s bodyguard”.

The Shiv Sena has now turned its ire towards Chief Minister Ashok Chavan for “playing Shah Rukh Khan’s bodyguard”.

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An editorial published on Saturday in party mouthpiece Saamna, asked: “Is Chavan the chief minister or actor Shah Rukh Khan’s bodyguard? If it is the latter, he should wear a security guard’s uniform and stand outside Khan’s bungalow, Mannat, saluting passers-by.”

Sena chief Bal Thackeray is the editor of the newspaper and the paper’s opinions are taken as his views. “What else has Chavan done for the last seven to eight days?” Thackeray asked.

“The only thing that remains to be done is erect a marble memorial for [terrorist Ajmal] Kasab and his dead accomplices and ask the policemen to salute them,” the editorial said.

“For one Khan, how weak and helpless the chief minister has become,” Thackeray said. Chavan was not available for comments.

The Sena has been protesting against Khan’s statements that cricketers from Pakistan should be allowed to play in the IPL.

In a statement published in Saamna, Thackeray complimented Sainiks for their ‘‘successful’’ agitation against My Name Is Khan.

Thackeray said the opposition was never to a particular movie, but to Khan’s “pro-Pakistan” statements. “We never asked him to apologise to us,” said Thackeray. “We’ve been saying he should apologise to the nation.”