Pawar was addressing a party rally at Somaiyya grounds at Chembur in north central Mumbai on the occasion of the party's 12th foundation day.
Athawale and his new allies the Sena-BJP had organised a massive show of strength in Mumbai only Thursday to protest against price rise and alleged misrule of the Congress-NCP in Maharashtra.
The RPI leader's decision to join hands with the Sena-BJP stunned Pawar and the NCP, with whom Athawale was in alliance for close to three decades. Athawale is recognised as the most visible ‘Dalit’ face, which benefited NCP and earlier the Congress.
The Friday ralley was deliberately named by the NCP as ‘Samajik Hakk Parishad', which focussed on the rights of the Dalits and other backward classes. Despite rains, the NCP succeeded in pulling 50,000 mark crowd.
Published 10 June 2011, 17:19 IST