Ashok Chavan's supporters walk out of CLP meet

"There was the unanimous view that the party and government should bring facts before the people so that opponents do not get a chance to malign our leaders," state Congress president Manikrao Thakre told reporters after the meeting.

Chavan's supporters, according to those present in the meeting, pointed out to the party brass how NCP, a constituent in the state government, had stood firmly behind its minister Sunil Tatkare despite allegations of amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Thakre said Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told the legislators that he did not expect the CBI to charge sheet his predecessor.

"It is a state government land. CBI was just investigating the case of missing Adarsh files and now it has taken over the entire case," Thakre said quoting the Chief Minister.

Replying to questions, the state Congress chief denied that Chavan supporters had walked out of the meeting.

"Former minister Abdul Sattar and MLA Nilesh Parvekar had an argument over making their speeches. Since Parvekar interrupted Sattar, a close aide of Ashok Chavan, he walked out in a huff. Later he was pacified and brought back," Thakre said.

However, sources on condition of anonymity said legislators supporting Chavan including Ramprasad Bordikar, Sunil Kedar and Abdul Sattar walked out of the meeting and did not return.