Dalit leaders flay Shiv Sena chief

NAGPUR: If separate Vidarbha state is formed, the people of the region will decide the Chief Minister and not Bal Thackeray, Dalit leaders Ramdas Athawale and Jogendra Kawade said today.

Reacting to Sena chief's statement of a non-Maharashtrian becoming Chief Minister, if Vidarbha is carved out of Maharashtra, both Athawale and Kawade said, the Chief Minister could be a Dalit as the region has large population of backward caste.

They said United RPI will remain active with Vidarbha Rajya Sangram Samiti and proceed with it to Delhi to meet Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, presidents of national political parties including Nitin Gadkari (BJP) and Sharad Pawar (NCP). Athwale said he would convince the RPI-Left-PWP alliance parties leader N D Patil over creation of separate Vidarbha. During the budget session of Parliament, memorandum would be given to all MPs in Delhi and also to all legislators of Maharashtra during state legislature budget session, he said.
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