THE Shiv Sena has postponed its proposed call for a Maharashtra bandh that was scheduled on December 1.

Sena MP and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that the call for the bandh has been postponed following the terror attacks in Mumbai. “We have postponed it for the time-being,” he said, pointing out that the fresh date for the bandh will be announced by the party soon.

The Sena had called for a statewide bandh to protest against the “torture” of Sadhvi Pragya Singh and others arrested for their alleged involvement in the Malegaon blasts. The party had accused ATS officials for deliberately torturing them because they were Hindus. Sena had also threatened to publish the names and addresses of ATS officials, in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamna’, who had “tortured” those arrested for their involvement in the Malegaon blast, so that people could ostracise them.

The proposed bandh was to coincide with the opening day of the winter session of the state legislative assembly to be held in Nagpur. Despite being slapped with a fine of Rs 20 lakh by the Supreme Court for calling a bandh in 2003, the Shiv Sena stated that it was willing to pay even Rs 50 lakh for cause of Hindutva.