Maharashtra Cong to organise yatra to highlight BJP misrule

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan today said that the party would organise "Jan Sangharsh Yatra" in western Maharashtra to highlight the misrule of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and state.

He said that the yatra would begin from Kolhapur on August 31 and culminate at Pune on September 7 and would cover Sangli, Satara and Solapur in between.

He accused the BJP government of making false promises and also alleged that it was vitiating the atmosphere which was leading to instances of mob lynching by cow protection vigilantes.

Chavan, who was addressing a press conference here along with former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, claimed that the state government was unable to safeguard the reservations that the previous Congress-led government had provided to the Maratha and Muslim communities.

He alleged that the recent seizure of explosives, in Nallasopara in Palghar, from persons reportedly having links to the Sanatan Sanstha showed that such organisations were fomenting trouble in society.

Speaking about the right-wing outfit, Prithviraj Chavan said that his government had sent a proposal to ban the Sanatan Sanstha under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to the Union government but the ban was not enforced.

He added that the final decision to ban an organisation under the provisions of the UAPA belonged to the Centre.

He asked the state and Centre to make their stand clear on banning the outfit.