The former BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu, who conveyed the advice on behalf of his party added that it was the government’s duty to counter terror implying that it was not the duty of political parties like Shiv Sena or leaders like Bal Thackeray to contain terror. The BJP believed in democracy and the Constitution and wanted Bal Thackeray to abide by the law. The BJP’s advice is likely to force regional outfits like INLD and AGP to review their ties with the former. The latter are presently a part of the UNPA. Similar outfits (like LJP) are ostensibly a part of the ruling UPA alliance at the centre for the present although strictly speaking they are fence-sitters. Once the elections to the Lok Sabha are announced it is possible that these fence-sitters switch their alliance to the BJP. The BJP may already have found a supporter in Ramadoss’s PMK in Tamil Nadu. Even the Trinamool Congress may be inclined to consider revive its relations with the BJP in view of the latter’s transformed ideology.

But the Congress Party may not view the transformation on the part of the BJP in positive light. It may even be unhappy with the transformation on the part of the BJP. It has always used the BJP’s anti-Muslim attitude as a crutch to boost its own electoral prospects and the crutch seems to be giving way now. It has also condemned the Shiv Sena’s call. The party spokesman Jayanthi Natarajan said that it was a clear call not only to lawlessness and violence but would also sound the death knell of peaceful democracy. She described Thackeray’s call through the Shiv Sena mouthpiece to constitute suicide squads (Thackeray issued the call through the party mouthpiece as usual) as subversive, anti-national and prejudicial to the secular fabric of the nation.

Bal Thackeray, unfortunately, has to pounce on anything that can help him in stealing a march on his nephew and now political rival, Raj Thackeray. In the process, if communal trouble flares up, he is least bothered. In fact, he will be happier because he will be back in the limelight and will have stolen a march over Raj. The youngster has been beating the uncle at his own game. To make matters worse, the uncle’s son is no match for the nephew. But Bal Thackeray has another thing coming – the Maharashtra anti-terror squad which has solved the Thane blasts (Gadkari Rangayatan) has arrested two activists of the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, an outfit of Santan Ashram in Panvel, not too far away from where Bal Thackeray lives!