After Rahul, Shah Rukh, Ashok Chavan becomes Shiv Sena target

Mumbai: After Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan, the Shiv Sena on Thursday trained its guns on Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, saying he "owes his post to Pakistan".

In a scathing editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna, Sena chief Bal Thackeray said the very same "Khan" whom he was supporting would prove to be Chavan's nemesis.

Thackeray said Chavan came to the post courtesy Pakistan. "It appears that Pakistan sent the 10 terrorists from the sea route to attack Mumbai to ensure he got the post of chief minister."

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He was referring to then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh losing the post after the 26/11 attacks and Chavan being put in the saddle.

"Now to keep his position secure, Chavan is busy licking the boots of Pakistani loving 'Khans' in Maharashtra," he said.

The editorial comes in the wake of the Maharashtra government arresting over 1,600 Shiv Sena activists for attempting to disrupt the screening of upcoming Shah Rukh starrer "My Name is Khan".

The Shiv Sena has been targeting Shah Rukh for speaking out against the exclusion of Pakistani cricketers from the Indian Premier League.

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"At this rate, Chavan may soon become a 'national hero' in Pakistan," the editorial added.

Thackeray said Chavan got Sena activists showing black flags to Rahul Gandhi arrested and even caned, and later threatened to withdraw the security of Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray.

"Well done, Chavan! For the manner in which you are running the state administration, you deserve to be the chief minister of Peshawar or Balochistan," he said.

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He further said in the edit that in Pakistan it is a tradition to curb political opponents by using military force or throwing them in jail.

"Here also Chavan has unleashed a 'police raj' and vowed in the name of Mohammed Ajmal Amir 'Kasab' to crush the Shiv Sena," Thackeray said referring to the terrorist who was caught alive in the 26/11 attacks.

But before Chavan can flutter the Pakistan flag in Maharashtra, he would have to contend with the Shiv Sena - and nobody has the guts to do so, Thackeray said.

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He said for supporting Pakistan lovers, the 'reverse counting' for Chavan has begun and he would be treated as the 'Genghis Khan' of Nanded, alongside Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan.

He said Maharashtra has had many such 'children' of Congress 'rulers', but it was the mistake of patriotic parties like Sena "to show our patriotism". "Now, let them make a movie called 'My Name Is Kasab' and if anybody dares to oppose it, hand them over to Pakistan," the edit concluded.