BJP warns of violent stir over separate Vidarbha demand

BJP has threatened to take to the streets to launch their 'final' agitation over the demand for creation of separate Vidarbha, alleging that the ruling Congress was deliberately neglecting the statehood issue.

"Congress was apprehensive of losing power to NCP in the state in case Vidarbha is carved out of Maharashtra," state BJP president Davendra Phadanvis said here.

"BJP will hit the road to continue its democratic fight if Congress does not concede to the demand," he warned.

"The ruling party (Congress) perhaps understands the language of violence only and that is evident from the violent protests in Andhra Pradesh for separate Telangana," Phadanvis told PTI in an exclusive interview here.

It is unfortunate that people of Andhra, particularly Telangana region, had to indulge in violence over a period of time to keep up the tempo for creating new state, he said.

Their demand is now being met as Congress-led UPA government brings the proposed new state Bill in Winter Session of Parliament commencing shortly in Delhi, he said.
Phadanvis said BJP was committed to the Vidarbha cause.

The party, in its National Executive held in Bhubaneshwar way back in November 1992, had adopted the resolution for Vidarbha, he said.

Criticising the Prithiviraj Chavan government in Maharashtra for alleged inept handling of agri-crisis in the region, Phadanvis said farmers have not been paid compensation even after a number of assurances.

The farmers' suicide issue is raising its ugly head again and a number of farmers have committed suicide due to crop failure in Kharif session, he claimed.

A two-day summit on 'advantage Vidarbha' was organised in February but since then industries have not shown any interest due to stiff hike in power and water charges, Phadanvis alleged.

The Maharashtra government has time and again promised to reconsider lowering the tariff for industries but nothing has worked out and investments have come to standstill, Phadanvis claimed.

He said what prevents the state government from giving power supply at fair price to industries was not known.

When other neighbouring states, particularly Chhattisgarh, were offering a number of sops to industrial houses to attract investments, the DF government should not let the investments slip out, he said.

Moreover, the alleged corruption in power companies could be one of the reasons from not giving competitive power rates to the new industrial units, he claimed.

Criticising the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Yojna, a health insurance scheme meant for the poor in the state which was launched with much fanfare by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the city last fortnight, he said there were many discrepancies in the scheme.

Earlier, the state government was spending only Rs 130 crore and now it will spend Rs 830 crores annually. This was helping the insurance company more than the poor, the BJP chief claimed.

The state BJP was corresponding with the state government for the last six months for inclusion of many other ailments under the insurance, but it has been overlooked.
Congress has the habit of thinking of the poor when elections are around the corner, Phadanvis said.

On two plots of land allotted to an institution with whom Rajya Sabha Congress MP Rajiv Shukla is associated in Andheri (Mumbai) allegedly at a throw away price of Rs 98,000, Phadanvis said Congress leaders are treating Mumbai as a "hen laying golden eggs".

The state government should immediately cancel the allocation, he demanded.