Nagpur: Amid conflicting reports, Adv Shreehari Aney, former Advocate General of State who quit the post after an unprecedent uproar over his remarks supporting a separate Marathwada, was accorded a welcome when he arrived in Nagpur and straightaway went to Sanvidhan Chowk (RBI Square) where a large number protagonists of separate Vidarbha were present. Adv Aney reportedly garlanded the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and addressed the gathering.
The former AG said, “I am feeling happy for returning to Vidarbha soil. The happiness cannot be described in words. We will be deliberating as well as sensing the pulse of people over the issue of independent Vidarbha in the coming days. In fact, the next course of action will be made public at the press conference which we are addressing at 4 pm today,” saying this Adv Aney shouted ‘Jai Vidarbha’ slogan again.
Will Aney form new party or lead the struggle?
After quitting the post of AG, Aney seems to be feeling easy and free as well. Now, he is talking of Vidarbha Statehood openly. “Even though BJP is in favour of a separate Vidarbha I doubt the party will take any positive steps in this direction. BJP won the maximum seats in Vidarbha by promising a separate state.
However, if fruits of power are to be enjoyed then the role of all-inclusive politics has to be played. The BJP leadership and Fadnavis are exactly in the same dilemma. At this moment, expecting great things from BJP and other parties will be a wrong notion. Municipal elections are round the corner. Therefore, support of ballot boxes will be sought for a separate Vidarbha demand. The time is ripe for us to ponder whether a political outfit or a front be formed,” said Adv Aney.
Adv Aney said that he resigned from the post to avoid cornering of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his government in the ongoing Budget session. The former Advocate General is excpected to open his cards during the 4 pm press conference and much of the air will be clear over his next moves.
Central Govt, national parties to be trailed for Vidarbha statehood:
“The BJP Government is at the helm at Centre as well as State. The BJP had given a word on separate Vidarbha. If they don’t succeed it will be their failure. The outcome will be that the party will find it hard to regain power in future. We would be appealing all including all-party leaders to wage a fight for carving a separate Vidarbha,” Adv Aney said.
Not so warm welcome:
Meanwhile, contesting the warm welcome reports, some diehard Vidarbha activists claimed that the former AG Shreehari Aney was greeted by a sparsely thinned crowd and certainly not a ‘hero’s welcome.’
It was reported about 40 organizations fighting for Vidarbha statehood would join hands to plan a rousing welcome for the senior lawyer. He quit the top state law post after fiery protests by Opposition parties and also by ruling ally Shiv Sena over his remarks calling for statehood to Marathwada and injustice meted out to the region.
At the RBI Square, attendance was so poor that it could be counted on fingers and thus sparked running of wild speculations over the eupheria and hoopla.
The lukewarm response raised a pertinent question: Are people not willing to buy another Vidarbha agitation or fall pray to leaders who in past have used them for their political and election gains?
There is not an iota of doubt that Aney belongs to such shrewd politicians and get indulged in rhetoric. But what about other people and organizations who have made a beeline for a photo shoot (!?) These are the same people who, during 2014 General Election, asked the candidates to sign an oath in favour of Vidarbha state so that they can give their vote. The same people used to organise seminars on Vidarbha Vision with candidates. After election results, all the promises have been forgotten and the people have been left fooled.
People are at their wit’s end to think the double talk of Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP Goverment with Shiv Sena as its partner and all other parties who bayed for Aney’s blood when he made some opinion about statehood issue. Why Shiv Sena-BJP-Congress leaders uttered a a single word when RSS ideologue M G Vaidya advocated dividing Maharashtra into four smaller states? Why this double standard?
People of Vidarbha most certainly are fed up with this so-called Vidarbha leaders who have their own hidden agenda of reaping business and pecuniary gains. Look what the “great propagandist” VED has done for farmers. Has a single farmer got benefited? It is just a photo op!!.
The gullible people of Vidarbha would not be fooled again in the name of Vidarbha struggle. People are firmly demanding these leaders and such organisations to either go for it or help the present Government develop Vidarbha for prosperity of all. The present Government is doing much better than the previous government.
The bottom line is: Grow up. Stop using Vidarbha andolan for your personal nameshake and benefits. Enough is enough.
