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We are ready for anything, says Deshmukh

Swati Kulkarni in Bombay

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Wednesday that his government was fully prepared for the consequences of arresting Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray.

He was speaking to reporters soon after meeting 130 MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena at the Vidhan Bhawan.

"My government is fully competent to handle the situation after Thackeray's arrest. We are prepared to tackle any untoward incidence," said Deshmukh.

Deshmukh, however, refused to say when Thackeray would be arrested.

On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had asserted that Thackeray's arrest was "imminent".

The government has sanctioned Thackeray's prosecution under section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code on a charge of inciting violence and enmity between communities during the 1992-92 riots in Bombay.

Deshmukh's meeting with the opposition legislators lasted 30 minutes. The MLAs demanded that the government withdraw the case against the Sena leader.

"The same case had come before the high court, but the verdict was given in favour of 'Balasaheb'. Therefore there was no need for the state government to rake up this old issue," former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde of the BJP told reporters after the meeting.

"It is unjust, illegal and against the law," former chief minister Narayan Rane, leader of the Opposition in the assembly, said.

"Even Sharad Pawar as chief minister of Maharashtra did not take any action in this case because he knew the communal peace in Maharashtra would get disturbed," Munde added.

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