War of slogans between BJP, Shiv Sena

The Winter Assembly Session of the Maharashtra Legislature began on Monday amid much sloganeering between Shiv Sena and BJP MLAs over the issue of separate Vidarbha state on the steps of Nagpur Vidhan Bhavan on Monday. The recent statement by advocate general Shrihari Aney supporting statehood for Vidarbha has become the latest bone of contention between the two ruling parties.

Mr Aney in a book release function in Nagpur on Saturday said that there should be a referendum on separate Vidarbha and if it is more than 51 per cent, the government should create Vidarbha and claimed that more than 80 per cent of the population in Vidarbha was in favour of a separate state.

Shiv Sena MLAs, including minister of state for education Ravindra Waikar gathered on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan and shouted slogans such as “Samyukta Maharashtra rahilach pahije” (Maharashtra must remain unified). They also demanded the sacking of Mr Aney from the AG’s post.

Noticeably, none of the Cabinet ministers from Shiv Sena, including Subhash Desai, Diwakar Raote, Ramdas Kadam, Deepak Sawant and Eknath Shinde joined the protests.

A group of BJP legislators countered Sena legislators by shouting the slogan “Swatantra Vidarbha zalach pahije”. (Separate Vidarbha must happen).

However, the issue did echo inside the house as the house paid homage to former Maharashtra governor Om Prakash Mehara, Manipur governor and former Maharashtra minister Dr Sayyed Ahmed, former lieutenant governor of Andaman and Nicobar Ramchandra Kapse, former deputy speaker of the Legislative Assembly Pramod Shende, former state minister Madam Patil and former Legislative Council member Sadashivrao Pol. As per the legislative convention, no other issues were raised in the house while the homage was being paid to dignitaries.

However, the issue of separate Vidarbha is likely to raise storm in the state legislature as Shiv Sena is pursuing it aggressively, while Opposition parties see it as an opportunity to isolate the BJP. The Congress and NCP have sought CM’s explanation on it and also demanded Mr Aney’s removal. Both parties have refused to state their stand. NCP leader Ajit Pawar said that his party would make its stand clear when the subject of separate Vidarbha is brought to the house.

The Congress has accused the CM of using the advocate general in order to deviate public attention from other issues such as corruption and inflation.

Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt said, “The CM must admit that Mr Aney voiced the demand for separate Vidarbha on his behest to deflect attention from key issues or he should sack the AG.”

“Mr Aney has violated the oath of secrecy by publicly speaking on a referendum for separate Vidarbha,” said leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.