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Bal Thackeray: India's #1 Teflon Muslim Basher

By MANOJ MITTA

The Indian Express, Oct. 17, 2002

"Thackeray's appeal to Hindus to form suicide squads to take on Muslims is by far the most brazen incitement of terrorism. Indeed, Thackeray has surpassed all his old records in Muslim bashing. . . . Thackeray cannot and will not be hauled up under any of the otherwise draconian provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (P.O.T.A.). This is thanks to an improvement P.O.T.A. is claimed to have made on its notorious forerunner, Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (T.A.D.A.). While P.O.T.A. focuses on terrorism, T.A.D.A. had provisions dealing with terrorist as well as disruptive activities."
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"As it happened [sic], the 30-odd organisations that have been ostracised under P.O.T.A. are all related to either minorities or naxalites or are those based abroad. On the other hand, none of the Hindu organisations, whether casteist or communal, apparently warranted inclusion in the list of the so-called 'terrorist organisations.' So, a Ranvir Sena may massacre Dalits in Bihar, a Bajrang Dal may employ Ayodhya to terrorise Muslims, a Vishva Hindu Parishad may organise a retaliation to Godhra and a Shiv Sena may instigate Hindus to take to terrorism. . . . The hue of terrorism - saffron or green - will determine whether an activity comes under P.O.T.A.'s ambit or not."
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