Dussehra rally incident was pre-planned, says Manohar Joshi

Surfacing here five days after the Dussehra rally, where he was booed off the stage by Shiv Sena workers, Manohar Joshi today said the incident was "pre-planned".

"I am annoyed with those who created the conspiracy. However, (Sena president) Uddhav Thackeray was not part of it," the former Lok Sabha speaker said.

Terming what happened at the Dussehra rally -- his being booed off the dais by Sainiks angry at his recent utterances against party chief Uddhav Thackeray's leadership style -- as unfortunate, Joshi ruled out tendering an apology over the recent events.

"I haven't made any mistake. I have served Shiv Sena for 45 years. There is no question of any apology," he said.

Asked if he was in hiding, Joshi said, "The reports of my going into hiding were also part of the rumour-mongering.

"I was not in hiding. I was at a catering training institute of my Kohinoor Group. My family was with me. My three year old grandson Arnav was with me. So there is no question of me going into hiding," the former chief minister said.

"I sent him (Uddhav) a letter yesterday so that he knows the factual position. There is no question of apology," Joshi said.

"I feel that whatever I have done, there is no untruth in it. If stating facts is a crime, then I have definitely committed it," he said.

Asked what had he written in the letter, Joshi said he won't divulge the contents as it was a communication between him and Uddhav.

The former Maharashtra chief minister said he wrote to Uddhav since it was his duty to explain to the Shiv Sena chief what he felt at the incident at the rally. Expressing hurt at the treatment meted out to him, he said, "I feel bad. This should not have happened."