JOIN USMVA's ‘viraat darshan’ on December 17
Amid heightened political developments, the Maha Vikas Aghadi is set to stage a mammoth morcha in Mumbai on 17 December to register protest against the response of the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government on the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute and its silence on Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Shiv Sena President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray presided over a meeting which was held at the residence of Leader of Opposition in Assembly Ajit Pawar of the NCP.
Top MVA leaders including Pawar’s counterpart in Council Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena, former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Congress Legislature Party leader Ambadas Danve, state NCP President Jayant Patil, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, former minister Aaditya Thackeray, former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Shiv Sena veteran Subhash Desai and Milind Narvekar were present.
Describing the morcha as “viraat darshan”, Thackeray said that the foot march would start from the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan And Zoo at Byculla and end at the historic Azad Maidan. “It would be a never-before-seen protest in Mumbai,” Thackeray said.
Pawar made it clear that even if by then the Governor is removed the morcha would continue.
While in Monday’s meeting the three main MVA allies - Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress were present on 8 December another meeting would be held in which smaller parties and fronts would join. “We have spoken to several leaders and many parties like Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPI (M) and PWP and they would join us,” said Thorat.
The four main issues are the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute, the demand for the removal of the Governor, the insult of women leaders by the ruling alliance leaders and the flight of investments to other states.
“The Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute has been there, now some people want to go to Gujarat, Telangana. It is clearly an attempt to divide Maharashtra,” said Thackeray.
“Where is the Chief Minister? What is his response?” he said referring to the statements of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
"I am ready to go again," said Bhujbal, a veteran, who in his younger days had gone to Belgaum in disguise and unfurled the saffron flag.