Vidarbha statehood demand irks Shiv Sena minister

Diwakar Raote

The assembly was witness to an unwarranted scene yesterday, when provoked by a slogan-shouting brigade of BJP legislators, who demanded a separate state of Vidarbha, a Sena minister, Diwakar Raote, almost came to blows with the seekers.

Diwakar Raote

Raote and his party want Maharashtra to stay united. The Congress and NCP, too, want the BJP to come out clean on its policy on granting statehood to Vidarbha.
The matter came up for discussion yesterday in both the houses because a BJP MP from Gondia, Nana Patole, tabled a private member's bill, for splitting Maharashtra, in New Delhi the same day.

In the assembly, a group of BJP legislators raised slogans in favour of a separate statehood. In response, Raote challenged them. The exchange took an ugly turn when the Sena minister left his seat and charged at the MLAs. However, senior BJP ministers Vinod Tawde and Chandrakant Patil pacified the warring members.

But, the proceedings had to be stopped when sloganeering from both sides increased. The work in the upper house, too, was adjourned over the issue.

Before the work was stopped, an agitated NCP member Ajit Pawar sought the BJP government's policy on splitting the state. "The MP cannot table such a bill without the BJP's approval. The BJP and the CM must clarify or else we will continue to protest," opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil told reporters later.

In the upper house, Sena's Neelam Gorhe demanded a discussion on the issue. Congress' Narayan Rane wondered why no BJP member or minister dared to say a word on the issue.