Shiv Sena hits out Hazare on plans to visit Pakistan

MUMBAI: Hitting out at Anna Hazare for his plans to visit Pakistan, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today said he should have given a thought to the sentiments of his country as Pakistanis were responsible "for shedding the blood of innocents".

"Be it Anna or anyone else, they should first speak to kin of those killed in the Mumbai and Delhi blasts, before annointing themselves ' Nishan-e-Pakistan'," Thackeray said referring to the highest civilian honour of the neighbouring country that means 'symbol of Pakistan'.

"Whether Anna goes to Pakistan or not is another matter, but it would have been better had he given a thought to the country's sentiments on the issue," he said in an editorial in party mouthpiece `Saamana'.

While speaking to a two-member delegation from Pakistan at his native village Ralegan Siddhi recently, Hazare had said he would like to go to Pakistan if "my visit is going to help the anti-corruption movement there".

The delegation, comprising Justice Nasir Aslam Jahid, a former judge of Pakistan's Supreme Court, and Karamat Ali, a well-known peace activist, had extended an invitation to Hazare to visit the neighbouring country.

The success of Hazare's anti-corruption movement had boosted the morale of the activists in Pakistan and people of Pakistan wanted Hazare to visit their country, Ali had said.