Congress takes dig at NCP's 'opinion poll' over Indu mill land issue

MUMBAI: Criticising NCP for conducting an "opinion poll" on its portal insinuating that Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan was responsible for delay in the transfer of Indu Mill land to construct memorial of B R Ambedkar, the Congress today said the NCP was feeling insecure that it might miss out on taking credit on the issue.

"NCP is our alliance partner and we have taken all the parties in confidence on the Indu Mill land issue. But it was surprising to know about the survey. NCP may be fearing not to get credit of the issue," Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre told reporters here.

He was referring to a survey conducted by the Sharad Pawar-led party on its website on the delay in getting the land for the memorial and if Chavan was responsible for the same.

Welcoming the Centre's decision to transfer the land of the defunct textile mill in central Mumbai for construction of the memorial of the Dalit icon, Thakre said his party has fulfilled its promise made in the election manifesto.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister Chavan, and Congress as a whole tried their best to get the transfer of land to construct memorial for Dr B R Ambedkar. We will take control of the land very soon," he said.

Responding to a query on the memorial of late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, Thakre said, "Ambedkar was the national leader and did not belong to any particular group. We follow his thoughts and one cannot treat Thackeray and Ambedkar on the same lines".