‘Stop doing a flip-flop’

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, in an open letter to the Chief Minister Ashok Chavan warned him over his u-turn on making Marathi compulsory for new taxi permits. HT Correspondent reports.

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, in an open letter to the Chief Minister Ashok Chavan warned him over his u-turn on making Marathi compulsory for new taxi permits.

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“Stop doing a flip-flop on these issues,” Thackeray said in a signed letter that was carried by the party mouthpiece, Saamna on its front page on Friday.

A day after state cabinet took a decision to give 4,000 new taxi permits to only those who were fluent in Marathi, Chavan on Thursday retraced his stance saying that by ‘local language, his government meant either Hindi, Gujarathi or Marathi.

Thackeray compared the change in CM’s stand with Michael Jackson’s famous backward ‘moonwalk’ dance.

“Congress has become used to this ‘backtracking’ disease,” he said quoting the example of the textile mills of Mumbai. “On one hand, the former mill workers are promised homes and on the other hand you strike deals with developers to construct huge towers, malls and multiplexes on it. Even now, with the taxi permits, first you make promises to the Marathi manoos and then turn your back at them. Stop this politicking,” Thackeray.

In the end he threatens Chavan by saying that he should not forget that the Congress has not been elected through a popular vote but because of other reason.

“You are the CM of Maharashtra and Marathi is the language of the state. We are not against any language but in the state capital you will have to respect the language. If not, then the collective fire of people will burn down your 150-year old peepal tree (Congress) and turn it into ashes. Do not indulge in backtracking politics.”