Real place of Thackeray's statement is in dustbin: Cong

Congress today rubbished Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's criticism of Sachin Tendulkar, saying such statements should be dumped in dustbin.

"The real place of Bal Thackeray's statement is in dustbin...Congress condemns his reaction in strongest terms," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here commenting on the controversy.

Attacking the Shiv Sena over the episode, Tewari said "those political parties, who base their politics on narrow issues of caste and religion, insult India's unity and integrity. They assault the very idea of India. Their language, style and thinking is old, which people of India have repudiated and rejected."

The party also chose to put regional parties in the dock over the issue, saying "this is not the language of leadership of an emerging world power. That is why people in Maharashtra and other states have rejected regional parties."

Condemning the statement, Tewari said Congress did not want to dignify the Shiv Sena's statement and asserted that it was reacting to it only because of the long term implications of such assertions.
They (Shiv Sena and regional parties) do not understand that there is no contradiction in being an Indian, a Marathi or a Punjabi, he added.