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Bombayites take to street against Thackeray's bouncers

In a spontaneous reaction of displeasure over the Shiv Sena's threat against the Indo-Pak cricket series, Bombayites from various walks of society staged a morcha near the Churchgate station, a stone's throw away from the vandalised Board of Control for Cricket in India office.

The police had to resort to a mild lathicharge and force to whisk away the protestors, who raised slogans against Sena chief Bal Thackeray, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and his deputy Gopinath Munde.

Bombayites are eager for the Indo-Pak matches, but the Sena, just for the sake of political mileage, was disrupting it, the activists protested.

Though the party leadership had owned responsibility for digging up the pitch in Delhi, it denied that Sainiks were involved in the BCCI ransack on Monday.

The protestors included city Samajwadi Party unit chief Abu Asim Azmi, Maharashtra SP chief Hussain Dalwai and journalists like Jatin Desai, Anurag Chaturvedi and the editor of the Mahanagar nikhil wagle.

Though there have been no arrests as yet, the police said they are expecting a breakthrough 'soon'.

Earlier, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and expressed concern over the incident.

Joshi, for his part, refused comment, saying it would not be proper to react without knowing all facts.

Asked whether he would resign as the BCCI vice-president, Joshi remarked, ''There is nothing big about it, if it is needed I would resign.''

Commenting on state Minister for Sports Pratap Jadhav's warning to Indian cricketers -- ''either boycott the match or be ready to face the consequences'' -- he said the minister should not have said that without consulting party leaders.

Union Home Minister L K Advani who was on a day's visit to Bombay declined comment on the incident when he was contacted by media persons at Hotel Airport Centaur.

UNI

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