By Quaid Najmi, IANS,
Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has urged former Maharashtra chief minister and union minister A. R. Antulay to provide his legal expertise and knowledge in the vexed Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary issue, currently being heard in the Supreme Court, a party leader said.
Thackeray specially invited Antulay to his bungalow, ‘Matoshri’ in Bandra, late Saturday night and requested him to use his legal acumen and his long political and administrative experience to help strengthen Maharashtra’s case in the Supreme Court, Sena MP Sanjay Raut told IANS.
“On his part, Antulay has agreed to remain present in the Supreme Court as and when required and guide the state’s official counsels in the matter,” Raut told IANS.
Appreciating Antulay’s deep knowledge of the state politics and the boundary issue, Thackeray noted that it was way back in 1964 that he (Antulay) had penned his book, “Mahajan Report Uncovered”, considered the most authoritative writing on the issue till date.
He told Antulay that the border issue is in the final stages in the Supreme Court and Maharashtra was falling weak in the matter.
“I want you to wear your black coat again and take up the cause of Maharashtra in the Supreme Court,” Thackeray urged.
Expressing his gratitude for the honour and confidence reposed by Thackeray, Antulay, however, noted that since the state has already appointed counsels, it would be unethical for him to interfere.
“However, I shall definitely provide my guidance to them, any kind of help based on my knowledge of the subject as and when required,” Antulay assured Thackeray him at the two-and-half hour long meeting, at which son Uddhav and Raut were present.
Last week, when an all-party delegation from Maharashtra met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, Thackeray had sent a copy of Antulay’s book with party leader Subhash Desai to be presented to the PM.
Antulay had written the book as a young legislator in 1964. Later, in the early 1980s, during his nearly two-year long controversial tenure as Maharashtra’s first Muslim chief minister, Antulay took the lead in solving boundary issue with his close friend, R. Gundu Rao, then the chief minister of Karnataka.
“Over three-four meetings, we had covered a lot of ground and were ready to resolve the issue within another six months or so,” Antulay told IANS.
However, the political scenario changed completely and later, no chief minister took the matter ahead and finally it was pending before the apex court.
Thackeray also observed that Antulay was “a truly patriotic Muslim” and everybody could learn a lesson from him.
“You are like a father figure. I am a Congressman, but first I am a Maharashtrian and I will definitely take up the cause of my home state whenever and wherever required,” Antulay promised.
(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at [email protected])