MANS to hold agitation,seeks passage of anti-superstition bill

Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti activists will hold a 'jail Bharo' agitation at Azad Maidan here tomorrow to demand the immediate enactment of a legislation aimed at curbing superstitious practices.
Narendra Dabholkar, founder-executive chairman of the samiti, today blamed the ruling Congress in Maharashtra for the delay in the passage of the legislation, saying that the party lacks political will to get the Act passed.
"Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan should show more sensitivity and efficiency to get the legislation passed," Dabholkar told PTI here.
"We wrote two letters to the chief minister, on November 1 and April 4. He assured us that he would convene a meeting of all concerned, including the Assembly Speaker, on the issue," Dabholkar said.

"Chavan told us that we will all sit together and enact this legislation," he said.
The Samiti is a voluntary organisation working towards cultivating scientific attitude, scepticism, humanism and critical thinking among people.

"The warkari community had opposed some provisions in the draft and so they were changed. Chavan met warkari representatives. We also agreed to the small change which were suggested," he said.
However, with just three days left for the ongoing budget session to conclude, it is now clear that the legislation won't come up in this session, he said.
"Congress does not have the political will. On the other hand, its ruling ally NCP has repeatedly said that they want to enact the legislation," Dabholkar said.