Monday, February 14 2005 13:02 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray has criticised the Democratic Front (DF)-Government for slowing down on the demolition drive and has said that illegal slums built after 1995 should be demolished at all costs.

In an interview, to party mouthpiece 'Saamna' yesterday (Feb 13, 2005), Thackeray came down heavily on DF Government for its recent slow down on the demolition drive and said, "There is no need for showing any sympathy to slum dwellers who have built the slums after 1995."

He criticised Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for asking Maharashtra Government to first rehabilitate the slum dwellers and then demolish the slums.

Thackeray added that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is unnecessarily taking a U-turn on the issue after Pawar made the statement.

"Pawar has done nothing but put the Ministers of his own party and his partner's in a fix," the Sena chief said and added, "Why should Mumbai rehabilitate people who have illegal houses."

Thackeray said that the situation was very bad as it was not possible to distinguish between the slums that have come up before and after 1995.

The Sena supremo said that the Government should demolish illegal slums irrespective of caste, creed or religion of the people staying in them.

Thackeray further asked the Government to be on the lookout and said that they should ensure that new slums don't come up in the places that were vacated.

He also said that there was a lot of corruption in the various Ministries and hence many of the Bangladeshi migrants have procured ration cards.

"It was really difficult to identify who is legal and who is illegal," he said.

Thackeray asked the State Government not to pay attention to social worker Medha Patkar who was demanding that the Government should stop demolition of slums.