Cong leaders to visit Nanar next week to meet locals

A delegation of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) will visit Nanar in Ratnagiri district next week to meet the local residents agitating against the proposed mega-refinery project there.

Talking to reporters here today, MPCC chief Ashok Chavan said the state unit of the party will stand by the people in that region.

"A delegation of the party will visit Nanar on April 20 to meet the locals and know their stand. Their grievances should be taken into consideration and addressed," Chavan said after meeting locals, who are opposing the project under the leadership of Ashok Walam.

Chavan also said it took Prime Minister Narendra Modi 11-12 days to break his silence on the Kathua and Unnao rape cases. "The BJP government also took time to take action in the cases," he said.

"Instead of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao', time has come to say 'BJP Se Beti Bachao' (save girls from BJP)," he said.

Chavan also accused the ruling party of using Ambedkar's name for the sake of politics.

"BJP didn't do anything for Ambedkar. The foundation stone for the Ambedkar memorial at the Indu Mills was laid three years back, but the work is yet to start," he said.

The law and order situation in the state has collapsed and the BJP is a mute spectator, Chavan alleged.

The former chief minister also lamented that farmers have to throw their produce at the Mantralaya gates.

Several farmers from Osmanabad district were detained yesterday after they dumped vegetables at the gates of Mantralaya, the state secretariat, protesting agains the obstacles they were facing while selling them.

"The government is tagging along on the basis of its majority on the floor of the house. It is neglecting the needs of poor people," Chavan said.