The Shiv Sena's latest hate figure is Mani Shankar Aiyar.

The Union petroleum minister became the Sena and its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party's target for his reported instruction to remove a plaque with Veer Savarkar's thoughts inscribed at Port Blair's Cellular Jail, where the freedom fighter was jailed from 1911 to 1924.

The issue has generated considerable heat in Parliament.

The Opposition has attacked Aiyar, accusing him of collecting money for the Chinese during the 1962 war. Aiyar, a former IFS officer-turned Congress politician, has strongly denied that allegation, dubbing it a 'vicious campaign' to defame him.

On Friday, the Shiv Sena brought the emotive issue into the public realm.

A life-like statue of Aiyar was installed at Mumbai's Shivaji Park for Shiv Sainiks to vent their anger. Sena chief Bal Thackeray kicked off the jhote maro campaign by planting his chappal firmly on 'Aiyar''s cheek.

Later, other Sainiks, including former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi (seen, here, to Thackeray's right), joined in the Aiyar bashing.

Photograph: Arun Patil