The Communist Party of India strongly condemns the continuous vandalism of Shiv Sena activists in the National Capital ... Earlier they attacked a Cinema Hall which was showing the movie Fire. Now they have damaged the Cricket pitch in Ferozeshah Kotla Grounds in the very presence of police.

"Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray goes on repeating that Pakistan team would not be allowed to play in India.

... The writ of Thackeray (runs) even in the Capital, not the authority of the Centre. Otherwise the Centre must be tacitly allowing such acts to take place.

The CPI demands that stern punitive actions must be taken against Shiv Sena activists causing havoc in the Capital-and Bal Thackeray should be shown his place ...

 Vir Sanghvi On Shiv Sena's Political Untouchability

The time has now come to call Thackeray's bluff ... If Prime Minister Vajpayee wants to indicate that his government is different; if he wants to demonstrate that he is committed to the rule of law; and if he wants to display that his regime stands for good governance, then there is one clear way of doing so.

The BJP must break ties with the Shiv Sena. It must walk out of the discredited Maharashtra government and it must entirely disown the T-company, as Thackeray's gang as row become.

There is enormous mileage to be gained from doing so ... The drawback is that (the BJP) will risk losing the support of the Shiv Sena's MPs in the Lok Sabha ... But Thackeray is welcome to support the government from outside. In any case, where can he go?

The truth is that he is a political untouchable. It is only the BJP's support that gives him a legitimacy that he does not deserve.       (Source: The Sunday, 17-23 January, 1999)