Shiv Sena's Thackeray urges Hindus to form suicide squads to tackle Islamic fundamentalism, receives flak

"Think big," the Shiv Sena chief said. "[You] should prepare to meet the bigger task of combating Islamic fundamentalism."

"A Marathi bank clerk will lose his job by indulging in small-time misappropriation. If you want to practice corruption, then be a Ketan Parekh or a Harshad Mehta," he said.

"The need of the hour is to plant a strong bomb in Bangladeshi bastis (slums) that have mushroomed in Thane and elsewhere in Maharashtra," Thackeray said.

"The threat of Islamic terror in India is rising. The only way Islamic terror can be tackled was by unleashing Hindu terror. It is time to set up Hindu suicide squads to ensure safety of the Hindu society and to protect the nation," the firebrand leader said, quoting Manusmriti to prove his point: "Retaliate if under attack. Whether your father or a learned Brahmin attacks you, an attack is an attack."

"The Hindus were safe during the Mughal invasion only because the Maratha warrior Shivaji had the courage to raise his swords against them," he added.

However, Thackeray's rhetorics did not go down well with powerful BJP ally, which condemned his remark.