Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday sought to defuse the vehement protests by the ruling Shiv Sena and the Opposition Congress and the NCP against any move to bifurcate Maharashtra, by stating categorically that there was no Vidarbha Statehood proposal before his Government.
In a statement made amid fierce protests by the Sena, Congress and NCP legislators in the both the House 0f State legislature, the Chief Minister informed the Assembly: “There is no such proposal (about formation of separate Vidarbha state) before the Maharashtra Government. The formation of new States is a subject dealt with by the Centre and Parliament”.
On a day when the ruling Shiv Sena joined the Opposition Congress and NCP in protests against any move to create a separate State for Vidarbha region, senior Congress member and former Chief Minister Narayan Rane demanded Fadnavis' resignation over the pro-Vidarbha statehood stand taken by the BJP legislators from the backward eastern Maharashtra.
Monday was second day when the proceedings in both the Houses of Maharashtra legislature were disrupted by the ruling Shiv Sena and Opposition Congress and NCP over the contentious Vidarbha State issue.
On Friday, pro-Vidarbha statehood members had raised slogans in favour of their demand in the State legislative Council, prompting the Sena, Congress and NCP to stage strong protests against the BJP members' clamour for bifurcation of Maharashtra. The issue had also sparked protests by the Sena and the Opposition in the State Assembly on that day.
The protests by the Sena, Congress and NCP were a fall-out of a private member bill moved recently by BJP MP Nana Patole in lok Sabha, demanding a separate Vidarbha state.
In the State Assembly, the Congress and NCP members hit out at the ruling BJP for its MlAs's clamour for a separate state, while the Shiv Sena members raised slogans against the BJP for its efforts to bifurcate Maharashtra.
Earlier in the day, Congress and NCP legislators rushed to the well and raised slogans against the formation of a separate Vidarbha state. The ruling Sena members also joined the Opposition members in the protests.
Shiv Sena MlA from Kolhapur, Rajesh Kshirsagar, picked up the mace kept in front of the Speaker. He, however, kept it back after the Chief Minister took exception to the member's act.
The Sena MlAs also sought an apology from BJP state unit president Raosaheb Danve for backing the demand of a separate Vidarbha state.
Senior Sena MlA Pratap Sarnaik demanded that State BJP president Raosabhe Danve-Patil clarify his party's stand on the separate Vidarbha statehood issue. Inside the House, Sena MlA Prakash Abitkar asked Fadnavis to clarify stand on creation of a separate Vidarbha state.
leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil charged that there was a fixing between Sena and BJP over Vidarbha.
Outside the House, Vikhe-Patil said: “If the Chief Minister is so honest about his intentions, then he should table a resolution on separate Vidarbha in the legislature,”
The Shiv Sena, who has been consistent in its opposition to the bifurcation of Maharashtra, staged protests at the entrance of the Vidhan Bhavan, opposing the clamour for a separate Vidarbha state.
Displaying a banner BJP MP Nana Patole as “shekhchilli” (a comic character), the Sena legislators shouted slogans like “Maharashtra should remain united” and “we are for Akhand Maharashtra (United Maharashtra)”. The protesting legislators also wore caps that carried a slogan “ Akhand Maharashtra”
In the Upper House, Congress' Narayan Rane demanded the chief minister's resignation, while leader of the Opposition Dhanjay Munde asked the chief minister to clarify his stand on the Vidarbha statehood issue.
Senior Sena MlC Neelam Gorhe had a covert dig at the ruling BJP, when she said: “Just because a party has a majority in lok Sabha does not mean that it owns the country”.
NCP MlC Jitendra Awhad said that Patole's move to table a private member bill in lok Sabha seeking statehood for Vidarbha had given rise to apprehensions in the minds of the people that the State was heading for a bifurcation. “That being the case, we will not allow this House to function. We will also enforce gaon-bandhi (ban on entering villages) on those speaking against Maharashtra,” Awahad said.