Shiv Sena opposes Vidarbha demand

NEW DELHI: With Centre's decision on Telangana likely to have a bearing on similar demands for statehood in other regions, Shiv Sena today said it would not allow breakup of Maharashtra.


"It has always been our stand that we will not allow breakup of Maharashtra," Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray told reporters to a query on the prospect of formation of a separate Vidarbha at a time when a decision on Telangana appeared to be on the cards.

His remarks are significant as it is believed that the demand for separate states like Vidarbha could gain momentum if the Centre decides to carve out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh.

The press conference at which Thackeray's son Aaditya and party leaders in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Anant Geete and Sanjay Raut were also present saw the Sena chief ignoring questions concerning the MNS, indicating thereby that the ties with his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray are far from cordial.

Asked about the party's stand on a grand memorial for Shivaji Maharaj, he shot back "afterall a memorial has to be built in Maharashtra, it will be of Shivaji and not of Dawood".

Dawood Ibrahim is a notorious underworld don said to be living in Pakistan.

Thackeray, however, said that the Congress always uses the issue of memorial for Shivaji in elections and has made it an issue in the last three polls.

Dismissing reports about some Shiv Sena MPs planning to leave the party ahead of elections, he said that there are "no migratory birds" in his organisation.

To a query on the poll outcome of the Sangli Municipal Corporation where Congress won defeating the NCP and the Shiv sena fared poorly, Thackeray said that he was also to blame for not paying proper attention.

But he assured people that such a thing will not be repeated.

He sought to disapprove of BJP chief Rajnath Singh's reported remarks that English language has hurt the Indian culture.

He said that English is a language of opportunity and as his grandfather Prabodhankar Thackeray used to say that "one should have respect for his mother tongue, he should not ignore English".