The Shiv Sena, which had always run down people from Uttar Pradesh or the ‘cow-belt,’ in a bid to garner their support in the wake of forthcoming state and Parliamentary polls, came out on Tuesday in support of Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan who was ‘humiliated’ by US security officials recently.





In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Dopharka Saamna’ (Hindi eveninger) party president Uddhav Thackeray criticised US security officials for treating Khan as if ‘he was trying to sneak in 50kg of RDX and had plans to blow up White House.’



The editorial also demanded that the United States government should clarify whether Khan was placed under virtual house arrest only ‘because his surname was Khan or because he was an Indian.’



“Past records show that US, while quietly pampering Pakistan has always treated Indians condescendingly.



The list of outrageous behaviour by US authorities is long: former home minister L K Advani, former defence minister George Fernandes, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and scores of commoners have undergone and undergo insults in the name of security,” Thackeray pointed out.



Elaborating on the latest incident, the editorial pointed out that Azam Khan was on US soil as ‘he was invited to Boston to deliver a lecture on how he had successfully managed Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh which, barring a single incident of stampede, passed off peacefully. And Khan was at the helm.”



“It is an irony that while US goes around tom-tomming about the security and terrorist threat it faces, it conveniently forgets that Pakistan is the fountainhead of such activities. Despite this, it pumps in billions of dollars into that country while gutless Indian government refuses to even squeak a protest over such boorish behaviour.



“And one wonders what would have happened if India had behaved in a similar manner to US or European officials on visit here. It is time that US stops its belligerence and paranoid behaviour and treat Indians with dignity and respect,” the editorial said.

