HVK Archives: Munde hits out at Arun Gawli
Munde hits out at Arun Gawli - The Indian Express
Express News Service
()
21 July 1997
Title: Munde hits out at Arun Gawli
Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: July 21, 1997
The deputy chief minister, Gopinath Munde today ridiculed underworld don
Arun Gawli for "trying to project himself as a national leader." The
statement, coming two days after the Gawliled Akhil Bharatiya Sena held a
mammoth morcha at Kala Ghoda and demanded Sena-BJP government's dismissal,
seems to be an attempt to placate Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray who is of
the view that the ABS should have been denied permission for the rally.
The Thackeray family was the main target at the rally where speaker after
speaker urged people to rise in rebellion against the government. If
anything rose, it was Thackeray's temper. It found vent in the editorial
columns of the party mouthpiece Saamna. In a scathing editorial Thackeray
warned Gawli that his (Thackeray's) patience should not be misunderstood as
weakness. Munde got a special mention in the piece. He was asked to find
out "where this poison is originating from and how it is growing," hinting
at the urgent need to identify Gawli's financers.
Putting the record straight today Munde said the permission given by Mumbai
police for the ABS morcha was a routine one and no special concessions were
given. "We took a policy decision that there was no question of giving
protection to the mafia elements. In my eyes every gangster is a criminal
and anti-social. Criminals are criminals, there is no caste or religion,"
he said.
Referring to Gawli's utterances that he could eliminate absconding don
Dawood Ibrahim, Munde said: "We don't want to take help of any gang to
finish off another gang." He said Gawli exposed himself by staying away
from the morcha. Asked whether Gawli had sought police protection to lead
the morcha, Munde said he (Gawli) wanted permanent protection which would
not be given.
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