While the Centre today asked the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena Government in Maharashtra to prohibit staging of the play, State Chief Minister Manohar Joshi in a statement declared that he would abide by the advice of Thackeray on the issue.

Thackeray is against the ban of the play, which allegedly seeks to glorify the killer of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. An editorial in Saamana made that clear in no uncertain terms today. The editorial carried a scathing attack on some Congress members of the Rajya Sabha who raked up the issue in Parliament wanting a ban on the play, saying that none of them had actually seen it. Saamna charged that the MPs have notmade an attempt to understand the thought behind the play that is drawing applause and wide appreciation from people of all age groups.

Joshi called on Thackeray late in the evening to brief him on the ``advice'' of the Centre in the interest of law and order in the metropolis. The meeting started at 8 p.m. and at the time of going to Press it was still in progress. The final stand taken by the Sena chief is expected to be on top of the agenda in the Cabinet meeting scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday).

Thackeray was also apprised of the assessment of the State's officials on the issue. Joshi cancelled his scheduled visit to Pune and had a brief meeting with Chief Secretary P Subramaniam and other officials on the situation.

However, the chief minister may have a rough time with the Sena chief, if the latter's statements to Doordarshan are any thing to go by. Speaking to Doordarshan, Bal Thackarey expressed surprise over Home Minister L K Advani's ``advice'' to ban the play. ``It is not good that such adecision is taken only on the basis of objections raised by Congressmen in Parliament. If the play contains certain objectionable dialogues, they can be removed. I presume that the staging of the play has been temporarily suspended, not banned,'' he said, adding that nobody raised objections when the Gujarathi version of the play ran for 50 shows.

The alliance government sought legal opinion and also the views of the Commissioner of Police on the ``advice'' of the Centre. ``The legal department as well as the Commissioner of Police have endorsed the views of the Centre on the ground that if the play is not banned, it will certainly create law and order problem in the metropolis,'' a senior official said.Additional Home Secretary (Government of India) R P Kapoor today officially communicated the views of the Centre on the play to Chief Secretary P Subramaniam. Kapoor reportedly asked the State Government to immediately ban the play and take all possible steps to ensure no clearances are given for staging theplay in future too.

As if justifying the assessment of the Police Commissioner, rowdy scenes marked the staging of the play at the Shivaji Mandir theatre at Dadar in North-Central Mumbai and had to be cancelled. Sena men clashed with the protesters led by the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) (detailed story in Express Newsline) and Cultural Affairs Minister Pramod Navalkar announced suspension of the play pending a decision by the Cabinet.

Earlier in the day, ruling and opposition members repeatedly clashed in Rajya Sabha leading to three adjournments after Shiv Sena member Sanjay Nirupam made certain remarks about a book by Gopal Godse, brother of Nathuram, while the demand for a ban on the play was reiterated in Lok Sabha also.

Responding to members' concern in Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha, Home Minister L K advani told both Houses that ``keeping in view the reported intent of the play, the Central Government has advised the State Government to prohibit its performance.''

Asserting thathis government ``strongly disapproves of anything that denigrates the hallowed memory of Mahatma Gandhi and belittles the unique role he played in leading the nation to freedom from colonial rule,'' Advani said he had conveyed the Centre's view to the Maharashtra chief minister yesterday.

In the Lok Sabha, several Opposition members demanded the disbanding of the autonomous body of Maharashtra which cleared the staging of the play and also a countrywide ban on it. The issue was raised by Leader of the Opposition Sharad Pawar during zero hour when he quoted the director of the play as having said that the play could not secure clearance from previous Maharashtra governments and it was the present Shiv Sena regime which allowed its staging. The continued staging of such controversial plays, which belitted the Father of the Nation, could create a serious law and order problem, he warned.

Deputy leader of the Congress P Shiv Shankar asked the home minister whether the Centre's advice was binding on theMaharashtra Government. He said the government could invoke Article 256 of the Constitution so that the direction would be binding.

The issue also figured in the Legislative Assembly of Kerala which unanimously condemned the staging of the play and expressed its concern over the issue. The matter also saw adjournment of the House in Bihar.