So, the editorial states that ``The market of litterateurs at Shivaji Park has ended. Bulls should not fix their own price. It's the buyer who does that.'' And, ``Wise men should be hit with words. But even if these litterateurs are hit with chappals, the chappals might tear, but the litterateurs will stay the way they are. I care for my chappals because they are not so cheap as Bapat is.''

The war of words between Thackeray and Bapat was fuelled by Thackeray's view that the litterateurs should return the Rs 25 lakh sanctioned for the meet by the state government for the meet before criticising him. An outraged Bapat, accusingThackeray of being an autocrat, had stated on the last day of the Sammelan on February 7: ``I will not sell my soul even if he (Thackeray) offers Rs 25 crore.'' Said Thackeray in his editorial today: ``Some bulls have priced themselves unreasonably high.''

Observed Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar, whose plays have faced Sena ire and worse in the seventies, ``This was expected. Thackeray has used his language yet again.'' Commented Bapat's contemporary, poet Mangesh Padgaonkar, ``Thackeray is not a child. A 72-year-old man is fully aware of the effects of his utterances. But there is some sureshot calculation behind this. I think that for one, Thackeray is trying to be some kind of hero for the Sainiks, and two, he is trying to hog the limelight without doing anything.''

The president of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Mahamandal, Vasundhara Pendse-Naik told Express Newsline, ``In a democracy, one can say exactly what one thinks. However, how one says it depends on one's personality andculture. It is for the listener to form an opinion about the user of such language. Yes, history will take note of the sad turn of things, but I have faith in the common man and I am sure history will ake note of the common man's decisions as well.''

Under her leadership, she said, the Mahamandal would work towards the formation of a Marathi Mahakosh (account) to which lovers of Marathi literature could donate so that literary meets in the future need not depend on the state government's largesse. Leader of the opposition Chagan Bhujbal also pitched in, saying in a press statement that Maharashtra will not benefit by irresponsible statements made in foul language.

But the man for towards whom the vitriol has been aimed refused to comment on the editorial. ``This will go on. One can't keep on retaliating. I have now left it to fellow litterateurs and lovers of Marathi literature to do something about it,'' Bapat told Newsline from Pune.Mayor stops BMC funds for literary meet
Mayor NanduSatam has rushed in reinforcements for the war of words between Vasant Bapat and Bal Thackeray. He announced today that the payment of Rs 10 lakh which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had promised the sammelan will now be stopped.

This decision, Satam clearly stated, was taken following Bapat's outburst against Thackeray. ``Why should we pay them if they spit on us,'' fumed Satam. After all, he said, Thackeray being Thackeray would strike back if anyone tried to challenge him. When the sammelan was inaugurated on Friday, BMC received a letter from the organisers asking for the Rs 10 lakh the corporation had agreed to pay them. The corporation had even released a cheque to the organisers. But following Bapat's statement on the last day of the sammelan that the organisers would spit on the money given by the government, the Mayor has directed the finance department to ask the bank to stop the cheque. While Satam claims that this is an independent decision, civic sources told Express Newsline that theorders came from Thackeray.

However, Chief Minister Narayan Rane as well as Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde today said the sammelan's organisers need not return the Rs 25 lakh sanctioned by the state government for the sammelan. ``Once granted, there's no question of taking the money back,'' said the CM.