In a complete U-turn, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday expressed its support for Anna Hazare's fight against corruption.
Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray addressed a press conference in Mumbai where he said that the party completely supported Hazare's campaign.
The move comes only a day after Sanjay Raut, Sena leader and editor of Sena mouth piece Saamna, had slammed Anna Hazare.
Raut had hinted that Anna himself was corrupt when he said, "If Anna wants to fight corruption, he should start with Ralegaon Siddhi (Hazare's village), the Gangotri of corruption and then the Mantralaya (state secretariat)."
But Uddhav claimed that the party had always supported the Gandhian activist and exhorted all parties to come together to protest against Hazare's detention.
"The Centre is inhumanely crushing voices of reason. Any one who questions it is either shot at or lands up in jail. This government is not following the ideals of Gandhi but of Mussolini," he said.
When questioned about the Sena's opposition to some of the provisions of the Lokpal Bill, Uddhav evaded a direct reply by saying that all such issues could be 'discussed'.
A day earlier, Raut had expressed doubts about Hazar's claim of having the support of the people and challenged him to contest elections to prove his popularity.
Incidentally, Uddhav's estranged cousin and political rival Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, has openly supported Hazare's cause.
