JOIN USMVA gets permission for rally in erstwhile Aurangabad
Amid trading of charges in the wake of a communal flare-up in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the police has given permission to the Maha Vikas Aghadi to hold its first joint rally in the historic town earlier known as Aurangabad.
Ahead of the rally, the MVA leaders launched a scathing attack on the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government on the flare-up in Aurangabad, Jalgaon and Malvani in Mumbai during the holy month of Ramzan and coinciding with Ram Navami festivities.
The rally would be held at Marathwada Sanskritik Mahamandal Ground on Sunday during which top leaders including former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads Shiv Sena-UBT, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar of NCP, his counterpart in the Council Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena-UBT, state Congress President Nana Patole, former Chief Ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan, state NCP President Jayant Patil and former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal are expected to speak.
Lakhs of supporters of Shiv Sena-UBT, Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP from the Marathwada region are expected to attend the mega-rally.
Danve is overseeing the arrangements for the rally along with the leaders of the three parties and its public representatives from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The local police have laid down certain conditions before okaying the rally.
Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut, who is a Rajya Sabha member, pointed fingers at the Shiv Sena-BJP dispensation and alleged that the riots were state-sponsored.
“Our information is that nobody from the two groups wanted any violence… But it was the government which wanted the unrest. It supported those who resorted to violence by not acting against them,” he said.
Asked about the incident, Pawar said: “I would not say anything that would vitiate the atmosphere.” “As far as the rally is concerned, final arrangements are being made,” he added.
On the other hand, state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule hit back at Raut saying that he should be held responsible for making inflammatory statements.
On the other hand, Medical Education Minister and senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan said that if the MVA rally could create further law and order problems, then the government may not allow the gathering.